The Races
by Real Gals Hav Curves
Summary: Christian's Gift.
1. Chapter 1

`THE RACES

By

RG

**Prologue**

He sat alone in the room.

He had said he wanted to study.

But how could he now?

After everything.

Everyone around him had a purpose.

Nico was a world famous photographer.

Coco was settled as a DJ in Goa

His cousin was traveling the world with the love of her life.

Gregor was now a prince, a loving husband and soon to be a father.

And

His Olli... a party hot spot owner.

No, he wasn't **his** Olli anymore he was now someone else's.

Andi had warned him.

But Christian hadn't listened.

Olli wasn't a forever guy.

He was a butterfly that flitted from one dazzling flower to the next.

Two years ago he had been Olli's dazzling flower.

An up and coming boxer who had the whole world at his feet.

But now he was a horse trainer.

Who was he kidding?

Rob was right he was just a stable boy.

Nothing more.

Why wouldn't Olli be attracted to Rob?

Rich, successful, suave Rob.

Olli had most probably had a nice lunch with Rob.

Andi had told him that Olli was always worried about his heart.

*_Guess that's why he's finding it difficult to break up with me. He's scared I'll keel over dead._*

He picked up the 'Love Time Table' Olli had made for them. The last ditch effort on his part to recapture his waning love for Christian.

He felt around in his pocket and found the bank receipts.

He had done something for Olli.

He had hoped it would be for both of them.

But now it would be only for Olli.

He had tried his hand at his father's favourite pass-time and completely lucked out.

5 wins in a row and he had 175 thousand euros in his pocket.

Gregor had said that was enough to sell the shares to Christian.

All that was now needed to be done was get the paper work ready and then he would get out of the way.

He watched Olli come in and undress for bed.

He got up and went to the bathroom to have a shower and chart out the final steps of his life.

**Chapter 1 - Montag C pov eins (Monday C pov 1)**

Christian re-read the document one more time.

Everything was in order.

Gregor had agreed to not tell Olli anything.

His brother loved Christian's romantic surprise for his boyfriend.

Gregor had really turned into quite the romantic.

Love did that to people.

He looked around No Limits.

He had worked here.

He had fallen in love here; he'd fallen out of love here.

He had fought here. He had laughed here. He'd cried here.

He'd met the love of life here.

He'd had lost the love of his life here.

He sealed the envelope and handed it to Miriam

"It's a surprise for Olli" he told her and she gently smiled back at him.

Miriam the clumsy waitress who was now Olli's right hand.

He would have loved to watch No Limits grow, but that wasn't to be.

He swept a last glance around the beloved Bar and slowly walked out to merge into the swirling mist.

**Chapter 2 - Montag Morgan C pov zwei (Monday morning C pov 2)**

As he walked he looked around.

There was the boxing club.

The first kiss with Olli.

There was that corner of the street.

The first time Olli said 'Ich Liebe Dich'

The bridge.

He had told Olli he wanted to quit boxing.

Olli had within seconds made him change his mind.

Schneider's

Olli's collapse

The hospital

Olli in a coma.

Olli was everywhere he looked.

Olli was a part of his soul.

Olli was everything.

He thought of Coco, she must have felt exactly like this when he had broken up with her.

At least she had somewhere to go. Something to distract her.

He had nothing.

Even the damn stables reminded him of Olli.

They had made love in an empty stall after he has aced his dressage presentation.

He stood on the bridge and looked down into the water.

How long would it take him to drown? He wondered.

The deep dark gently flowing water beckoned to him.

The sparkling black colour of the water just like Olli's midnight hair.

He longed for peace.

Everybody at No Limits thought he was at Königsbrunn.

And everyone at the castle thought he had taken a personal day.

Nobody would miss him till the next morning.

**Chapter 3 - Montag O pov eins (Monday O pov 1)**

Olli woke up and stretched.

He looked at Christian's alarm clock and was happy to see that it was only 8.

It was Miriam's day to open up No Limits, so he could indulge in a leisurely shower and a nice wholesome breakfast before he headed down to No Limits.

*_The shower felt nice_* Olli thought as he came out of the bathroom wrapped in Christian's blue bath robe.

He liked the scent that was emitted by the robe.

It was very Christian - masculine and strong.

He liked the scent, though he wasn't very much liking his boyfriend's attitude this past couple of months.

The constant jealousy made Olli feel strangled.

Christian was behaving like such a child.

Not just a child he was being a spoilt brat.

A brat who didn't want to share his toys with anyone.

So he was spending time with Rob, big fucking deal.

It was only business, he wasn't going to jump Rob's bones.

Though maybe after that strip show Rob had given last week; the man might not be averse to that idea was blatantly clear to Olli.

Olli thought about that ridiculous afternoon and gagged in disgust.

Rob was swarmy that much Olli agreed but he was good for business and that was it.

Didn't Christian trust his boyfriend at all?

And to top it all Christian had made the ludicrous accusation that Rob was a drug dealer.

As if the man who thought with his dick would really have enough brains to be a drug peddler.

Rob infact was too much of a floozy to be a drug dealer.

Rob was loud, crass and stood out like a disco ball where ever he went.

Olli thought of the drug dealers he had crossed paths with in his younger, stupider days.

They were quiet men.

Who you wouldn't give a second glance.

Who would quickly disappear in the milling crowds if they spotted any trouble.

Rob was a dimwit when it came to being subtle and he would never merge into any kind of crowd easily.

Christian had been sulking for the past week ever since he had seen the messy kitchen left behind by Rob.

One week, one whole week had passed since the Thai curry incident.

Christian and he hadn't spoken at all about it.

Actually they hadn't spoken to each other at all.

They had been like two strangers sharing a bed. For exactly 3 hours every night.

He would get in bed at 2 and Christian would be up at 5.

Christian had stopped coming into No Limits altogether after the Thai Curry Fiasco.

As Olli dressed he thought about the bigger problem he was facing that of Gregor selling his shares to some outsider.

He would deal with Christian's temper tantrum later, first he had to straighten things out with Gregor.

He would ring up his partner and beg for a little more time to come up with the money.

Christian wasn't going anywhere so Christian could easily be relegated to the bottom of Olli's Things To Do list.

**Chapter 4 - Montag O pov zwei und C pov drei (Monday O pov 2 and C pov 3)**

Whistling a cheery melody Olli happily made his way downstairs his laptop in hand.

Last night's Space Party had been a blast and a tremendous success.

He couldn't wait to show Miriam the online reviews.

He was happy that at least someone beside himself was as enthusiastic about No Limits' success.

Andi had been acting like a constipated cat ever since he had caught Olli with a naked Rob.

David was pining away after Rebecca so he was mostly a zombie when he was home.

At this moment only Miriam was a friend he could depend on to enthuse over and share his happiness with at the success his bar was enjoying.

Miriam gave him a wide grin as soon as he entered.

"Your dearest love left you a surprise. Here you go."

She winked at him as she handed him the large brown envelope

Scrawled in large letters on the envelope were the words.

**TO,**

**My Olli**

Now what had his little horse trainer left for him.

It was a thick parcel so most probably another book on horses.

Olli took the parcel and grimaced.

Hadn't Christian ever heard of Quid Pro Quo?

If Olli could be enthusiastic about Christian's horses why couldn't Christian be enthusiastic about Olli's parties?

Well he wasn't going to open the packet.

That would serve Christian right.

Damn stubborn ass.

He ran up the stairs to his flat and flinging the large heavy envelope on their bed he came back down to share the reviews with Miriam.

They laughed and enjoyed the glowing write ups.

Rob soon arrived and joined in the celebratory toast before the first customers of the day arrived.

Christian slammed his fist on the rusted railing of the bridge.

He was so tired of waiting for his life to take a turn for the better.

After completing school he had hoped to go to college.

But his father went and held up a petrol station.

Result Christian went to prison.

He came to Düsseldorf to make a fresh start.

Met Nico and it seemed like his life was finally looking up.

Result he went to jail again for no fault of his.

When he came out he realized how fickle Nico was and how strong Coco was.

His life was finally looking up when he was swept into a whirlwind of true first love.

A huge whirlwind called Oliver Sabel.

Just one kiss and he was lost.

He had seen forever in those mischievously sparkling emerald eyes.

But then his heart gave out and he became a nobody.

The boxing champion replaced by a nobody.

He hated his weak body for betraying him.

He kicked the railing with all his might.

The water was so cold... but still so welcoming.

**CHAPTER 5 - Montag O pov drei (Monday O pov 3)**

Olli looked down at his coffee soaked t-shirt and jeans.

After years of being a reliable, accident-free waitress Miriam had chosen today of all days to show her klutzy side again.

She had been carrying over a tray of coffee to Rob and him when God alone knew what she tripped on, but the next second he found himself wearing both cups of coffee.

And the hot liquid burned.

He jumped up and the coffee that hadn't soaked his clothes dripped off of him.

Rob laughed with gusto at his predicament and so did many of the patrons.

Olli rolled his eyes, "Shit!"

Miriam looked close to tears, "I'm sorry" she whimpered in fear and bowed her head.

Olli patted Miriam's shoulder and soothed her, "Hey, hey. It's alright. Accidents happen, just clean up this mess while I go and change."

AS he headed up the stairs he heard footsteps behind him.

Olli stopped in his tracks.

Slowly turning around he encountered Rob's smirking face.

Letting out an exasperated breath Olli jabbed the man in the chest and ordered firmly.

"You stay downstairs and go over the estimates."

"Don't you need help?" Rob asked with a shameless suggestive grin.

"In what?" Olli understood very well what the man was asking but played dumb.

"Changing." Rob answered with a feline look

"Definitely not from you. Just go downstairs will you." Olli growled in irritation.

"Okay." Rob said and pranced down the stairs.

*_That man didn't know the meaning of the word NO_*

Unlocking the door Olli headed straight for the bathroom.

After a quick shower he went into their bedroom to put on fresh clothes.

He riffled through his clothes.

Suddenly his hand encountered a certain item.

He pulled out his grey T shirt which had blue and pink patterns on it.

He held it for a moment as memories linked with it flooded back.

He had worn this t-shirt a lot when Christian had been boxing.

He clearly remembered the afternoon when Constantine had stood at their door and told them that Christian and his story of gay bashing and discrimination would be printed.

Christian had picked him up and twirled him around in glee before dumping him on the couch.

They had celebrated on the couch after which Christian had put on this T shirt before they headed down.

Judith had teased him with, "Wasn't Olli wearing that when we left the flat?" making Christian blush.

He loved his silly, jealous Christian so much.

Olli's eyes fell on the thick package he had earlier flung on the bed.

Still hugging the t shirt he picked up the large envelope.

Carefully opening it he pulled out the contents.

The items puzzled him.

The thick wad of papers was a legal document and there was also a single sheet of ruled paper.

He unfolded the sheet and read the letter.

_My Dear Olli,_

_I wonder if I even have the right to address you as 'My Dear' any longer._

_No Limits is yours._

_It's completely yours._

_Gregor signed the shares over to me and now I've signed them over to you._

_I wish you all the happiness in the world._

_What else can I say?_

_The best man won._

_I hope he makes you as happy as you have made me these past two years._

_I guess our journey together was only for so long._

_You deserve all the happiness in the world._

_May all your dreams come true._

_I'm sorry for being such a brat._

_Blame it on my youth._

_You ARE the greatest love of my life._

_You always will be._

_SO till we meet again._

_Forever Yours_

_Christian_

_P.S - Thank you for never shortening my name to something ridiculous like Chris or Chrissie, like so many other people._

'Till we meet again'

Had Christian walked out on him?

Olli looked around the room in panic.

But saw everything was exactly where it should be.

Christian's clothes were still in the closet.

So were all his books and other belongings.

It was just a break up letter.

But it wouldn't be for long once Olli spoke to him.

He cursed himself.

Christian must have been feeling so lost to resort to this?

It was time he reassured Christian that their relationship was still important to him.

He dug up the Love Time Table.

All they had got there were three measly dates. Only the first one of which they had been able to enjoy the other two he had broken due to Rob's demands.

No wonder Christian felt abandoned.

Christian was someone who never broke a promise.

And here was Olli who broke two dates.

He was going to fix this.

Rob would have to wait.

He pulled on jeans and a shirt planning how he would convince Christian that he was still the most important thing in Olli's life.

Just as he had picked up his jacket a strong gust of wind blew in through the window.

Erwin who had been sitting perched on Christian's table fell down and rolled next to the bed.

He bent to pick up Christian's stuffed chicken and his eyes fell on something sticking out from under the bed.

It was the strap of Christian's satchel.

Why would Christian go to the castle without his satchel?

That was just odd.

He picked up both Erwin and the satchel.

Placing both the items on their bed he pulled out his cell and called Christian.

A sweet recorded feminine voice informed him _"The number you are trying to reach is currently switched off. Please try again later_._"_

He decided to call the castle directly

David's cordial, 'Hello Königsbrunn' came down the line.

"David its Olli. Is Christian around?"

"Why would he be here?" David's confused voice asked.

"Because he works there." Olli said and chuckled *_when will that boy get his head on straight_*

"I know he works here. But he took a personal day he said he was going to spend the day with YOU. Why? Isn't he with you?"

"No," Olli answered his thoughts in a whirl.

"He must have gone to the bakery to pick up those raspberry pastries you like to eat."

"Maybe..." Olli whispered as he cut off the connection.

A shiver ran down his spine and he almost collapsed onto the bed.

As he re-read the letter.

The terrifying message Christian was trying to convey jumped out and grabbed him by the throat.

This wasn't a good bye letter or a break up letter.

This was a _suicide letter_.

**CHAPTER 6 - Montag O pov vier (Monday O pov 4)**

Olli ransacked the room and his worst fears were confirmed.

Christian had left behind his wallet and his cell phone carefully tucked away in his desk drawer.

Olli ran out of the bedroom and banged on Andi's door with both his fists making the whole thing shake in its frame.

A bleary eyed scowling Andi yanked open the door and screamed

"WHO DIED?"

"Christian" Olli whispered close to tears. He shoved the letter into Andi's hands.

Andi quickly read through the letter.

"He doesn't say anything about offing himself."

"Yah he doesn't." Olli said dejectedly.

"Maybe he just left"

"Without his cell phone and wallet?" Olli asked through gritted teeth as he held up the two items in question

"Have you called the castle?" Andi gently enquired

"He isn't there. Infact he's taken a personal day." Olli almost screamed in frustration.

Andi read the letter again.

"Is it really true that you never call him anything but Christian?"

"Yah!"

"He really loves you" Andi observed stating the obvious as he pulled on a pair of jeans closest to his hand.

He dug around in his closet and put on a random shirt and pulled on his jacket over it."

As they came out into the living cum dining room the doorbell buzzed.

Olli sprinted to the door and yanked it open with a

"Christian"

Only to be disappointed to find a smirking Rob standing outside.

"Lost your manure shoveling boyfriend Olli?" the man asked with a sickening grin.

"What is it Rob? I am sure I told you to stay downstairs." Olli spat at him

"I got bored of waiting." the man whined

"You better leave anyway." Olli ordered.

"Hey if you ain't in the mood to work I am all for just hanging out together." The annoyance said giving Olli a leer.

"Why don't you go hang yourself somewhere else? I have enough problems without you adding to the general confusion." Olli hissed at him.

"Ooooo so pony boy and you did have a fight, huh? I should've guessed when I saw him sulking at the bridge. You ask me, he looked like he was planning to jump off it."

"WHAT? Andi he..." Olli almost collapsed but Andi held him upright

"When did you see him?" Andi asked the man standing outside the door

"When I was on my way here maybe an hour or so back." Rob supplied self importantly.

"So what did you two fight about Olli? Me?" Rob asked a gleeful smile on his face.

"Andi...?" Olli turned pleading eyes to his friend.

"Rupert get the fuck outta here." Andi snarled at the man.

Scared by the murderous expression on the biker's face Rob quickly fled.

"Where are your car keys?" Andi gently probed.

"I don't know." Olli said then whimpered. "Andi ...Christian?"

"Okay ... I'll find the keys." Andi soothed his distraught friend.

Handing Olli his coat Andi instructed, "Olli go wait downstairs I'll be there in a sec."

Then Andi heard a jingle as Olli put on his coat.

"Olli what do you have in your pocket?" Andi questioned.

Feeling around in his pockets Olli took out his keys and handed them over with trembling fingers.

At any other time Andi would have made fun of Olli's absent mindedness but the situation was just too grave.

"Come on lets go downstairs." Andi coaxed giving the immobile man a gentle shove.

They slowly made their way down.

"Olli where are you going?" Miriam called out in alarm as she saw Olli leave the premises followed by Andi.

Olli turned to answer but Andi laid a hand on his arm and said, "I'll deal with her. You go wait by the car."

"Christian isn't feeling well we're going to the castle to pick him up. We'll be back soon." Andi effectively lied to the waitress and ran back out to Olli.

**CHAPTER 7 - Montag O pov funf (Monday O pov 5)**

Andi drove swiftly towards the bridge.

Beside him Olli sat with both his hands clasped together, eyes closed and lips moving in silent prayer.

As they neared the bridge Andi had to halt the car because of a traffic jam.

They could hear the wail of an Ambulance siren.

Olli quickly opened the car door and ran towards the gathered crowd.

"What happened?" Olli asked an elderly onlooker as calmly as he could.

The man made a regretful face and said sadly, "Some poor kid jumped in."

Andi who had by then caught up with Olli heard the elderly man's answer and said,

"Olli it could be anyone."

Hearing Andi's answer the gentleman asked carefully, "By chance did you know that boy."

Instead of answering Andi posed his own question "What did he look like?"

"Tall, blond, wearing a dark blue jacket with the Königsbrunn insignia on it. The jacket was the only thing they could fish out." The gentleman completed in a remorseful tone.

"No, it can't be Christian. I'm sure it's someone else's jacket." Olli slowly said trying to reassure himself

One of the emergency medics approached them.

"What name did you say?" he questioned.

Andi stared at the wet jacket the man held and choked out "Christian, Christian Mann."

"This jacket has the letters C and M embroidered on the collar."

Olli looked at the jacket then backed away.

"No, you're lying."

Turning to his friend he begged "Andi tell him not to lie"

"Christian wouldn't leave me. He promised me."

Olli grabbed the medic by the collar and shook him with all his might.

"You're lying." Olli screamed and flung him away.

Olli pushed thru the milling crowd and bolted to his car.

"Who was that man?" the medic demanded angrily.

"The boyfriend of the man whose jacket you're holding." Andi told him sternly

"Oh..." the man carefully handed over the garment and said softly, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for your loss. Please convey my condolences."

But Andi couldn't help saying, "But he could have survived, couldn't he?"

The medic looked at Andi with stricken eyes and said carefully "I'm sorry sir, but we have been combing the area for the last half hour. It's next to impossible he would have survived in the freezing water for more than a couple of minutes even if he had been a strong swimmer. I'm really sorry."

Andi gave his details to the cop at the scene so that they could contact him when there was some 'news'. Andi knew that was only the diplomatic way of the man to say that they would contact him once the body was recovered.

Holding the last artifact of one best friend, Andi made his way back to the car wondering how he would console his other best friend.

He found Olli standing by the car arms crossed at his chest tapping his foot in irritation.

"What took you so long?" Olli demanded.

"I got the jacket." Andi explained.

"I told you it's not his." Olli stated coldly

"Look at it Olli. It's his."

"It's not his!" Olli declared vehemently refusing to even glance at the jacket.

Then he ordered Andi, "Unlock the car."

Unlocking the vehicle Andi carefully laid the jacket on the back seat.

Olli strapped himself in and eyes firmly fixed on the road ahead again ordered.

"Drive. I'm sure he's already home, waiting for us."

Even before the car had stopped Olli was off like a shot.

He entered No Limits doors and ran up the stairs.

Olli flung open the door of the flat share and looked around intently

"Christian! I know you're home."

He ran to their bedroom.

"Christian! Enough of this hide and seek. Please! Where are you?"

Andi watched Olli run off and he finally let a tear escape.

He pulled out his phone and rang Helena.

As soon as she picked up he said "Helena I need you."

He heard the soft tinkle of her laughter.

"Cool down tiger I'm in the middle of work."

"No not like that..." he let out a controlled sob.

"Schatz! What's wrong?" He heard his girlfriend's alarmed voice

"Helena ...Christian..." his throat closed up with tears.

"Andi...Honey? What happened to Christian?" she gently pried.

"Helena ... Christian... he ...committed suicide. Please I need you. Olli has gone into denial. I don't know how to handle him."

"I'll be right there. Hang on baby. I'll be right there." Helena assured and cut the connection.

**CHAPTER 8 - Montag Abend und Nacht (Monday evening and night)**

Andi couldn't bring himself to even enter the building.

He stood by the front door and waited for Helena's arrival.

Miriam had watched in alarm as Olli had hurried in and gone straight up to the flat.

She wondered where Christian was.

Had he been admitted in hospital?

That was the only conclusion she could come to given Olli's behaviour.

As she served a couple sitting by one of the windows she spied Andi standing outside.

Seeing that the other 3 servers had everything under control she went outside hoping to learn Christian's condition.

Andi was startled by the hand that gently tapped his shoulder.

"Everything okay?" Miriam asked gently.

Not receiving an answer she further asked.

"I hope Christian is fine."

From Andi's stricken expression and tear filled eyes she gauged that Christian was most probably in critical condition.

Before she could ask anything else a taxi came and halted right in front of them.

Lydia and Helena quickly exited the vehicle.

While Lydia took care of the fare Helena ran over to Andi and hugged him,

"Where is he?"

"Upstairs."

"With the body?" Helena asked flabbergasted.

"There is no body. Christian jumped off the bridge near the boxing club." Andi told her

"OH MY DEAR LORD!" Miriam screamed startling the other three.

Briskly walking up to her Lydia grabbed the waitress by her shoulders and commanded very sternly

"Control yourself. This is no time to fall apart. You have to take care of No Limits while we handle Olli."

Miriam nodded her head vigorously gulping down her tears, her eyes wide in disbelief and shock.

Miriam blinked her eyes furiously taking in a deep breath she let it out with a whoosh and headed inside.

"How is he?" Lydia asked Andi.

"I haven't had the guts to go up to him."

"You mean he's all alone up there? God Andi! You are definitely stupid. This is no time to leave him all by himself." Lydia chided

"I'm sorry I didn't know what else to do." Andi said dejectedly

Helena gently rubbed his back.

"Shhhh ... we'll take care of him together," Helena said bravely through her own tears.

Lydia was the only one who stood dry eyed, planning which would be the best course of action to be utilized in this particular situation.

"Okay, let's just go up." She finally said once Helena and Andi had got some control over their emotions.

Andi opened the door slowly.

The flat was silent.

There were no sounds of sobbing. He entered as silently as possible with Helena and Lydia right behind him.

What he saw didn't register, as it definitely didn't align with the current situation.

Olli was sitting at the dining table an account book open in front of him. Pencil in hand the bar owner was busily making calculations.

"Olli what are you doing?" Andi asked confounded.

"Balancing our bar's account books." Olli answered matter of factly, "With Rob constantly bugging me I haven't been able to get round to this in quiet a while. And Andi you know how pissed Christian gets if I don't do the accounts on time."

"Olli Christian isn't..." Andi gently began

"I know he's at the castle. I have a lot of back log to catch up with before he comes home. Now don't bother me." Olli said and dismissed his friends.

All three looked at the man busily making calculations.

Adding digits.

Erasing digits.

Re-rewriting digits.

The account book updated Olli busied himself in cooking.

He looked at the clock.

It was close to 7; Christian would be home very soon.

He heard the door unlock and looked at it expectantly.

But was disappointed when he saw Andi open it and just as quickly shut it.

Olli wondered what Andi was up to. Andi had been constantly peeking into the flat at short intervals but the man never entered. This tiff with Helena was definitely messing with his friend's mind. He had never ever seen Andi behave this oddly before.

Andi had come running up the stairs, he had blocked David's path and prevented him from entering the flat.

"What's wrong Andi?" David asked in irritation.

David wanted nothing more than to take a shower and have dinner before crawling into bed.

He looked at Andi's face and said jovially "So the guys want to have a romantic evening alone. I should have guessed."

"No, David. There is no romantic evening. Christian is gone."

"What? He dumped Olli?" David asked in disbelief

"No, Christian left Olli his shares in No Limits and then ..."

"Then what Andi?" David stared at his flat mate intently as Andi's eyes teared up

"He took his own life." Andi finally choked out.

"How is that possible? Yesterday he was so happy he told us all at the castle about his plans to make Olli the happiest man on earth. We all thought he was going to propose."

"No, there was no proposal. Just a suicide letter."

"I have to go to Olli." David started to reach for the door.

Andi pushed him away

"No, Olli is in complete denial. We've been keeping an eye on him all day. He's cooked dinner for Christian and is now waiting for him to come home. If he sees you he'll want to know where Christian is."

"But I need to change," David said petulantly.

"Okay I'll call him down to No Limits to distract him and you get your clothes. Tonight you'll have to stay at Gregor's apartment. We can't risk taking any chances. Hopefully by morning he'll have registered ..." Andi stopped, even after so many hours he still couldn't bring himself to acknowledge it.

"I don't believe it." David started pacing the corridor. "Christian is a fighter he wouldn't just quit like that."

Andi opened Gregor's apartment and ushered the younger man in.

Miriam stared at the paper in her hand and then at the espresso machine.

She had to prepare an espresso for table 6. Yes, table 6.

Then she looked at the paper again No, the espresso was for table 9 the 2 daiquiris were for table 6.

*_Dammit, how the hell am I supposed to concentrate_.*

Christian **dead** that was unbelievable.

Lydia gently tapped her on her shoulder

"Go and take a break this is too much for all of us. I realize that. I'll handle everything here" The countess took over the manning of the bar.

Miriam looked towards Charley who sat silently in a corner booth. The lady held out her hand towards Miriam beckoning her.

Miriam sat down beside her.

"Charley..." Miriam whispered as tears started to course down her face

"I know..." Charley said hugging her.

Andi came running down.

He headed straight for Charley and Miriam.

"David is home." he told them.

Turning to Miriam he requested, "I need you to distract Olli so that David has time to go in and get his things."

"Jam the coffee machine." Miriam mumbled tonelessly.

She punched in Olli's cell number

She heard Olli's voice jokingly say

"Don't tell me we've run out of fruit. That can't be true."

"No, it's far worse. The espresso machine is on the fritz again." She said in her best panic stricken voice.

"The espresso machine? Don't panic. I'll be right there."

Miriam got up and walking around the counter pressed random buttons on the espresso machine and turned all the knobs on it before switching off the main power point.

Olli came hurrying down.

"Okay let's fix that espresso machine," he said and rubbed his hands together.

Miriam was a lot of things what she wasn't was a sabotage expert so it took Olli all of 2 minutes to have the machine back on its original settings and running busily.

"Miriam you did this on purpose didn't you?" Olli yelled at the girl.

Miriam looked towards Charley for help.

"Leave the girl alone Olli, I messed it up on purpose."

"Charley! Why would you do something like that?"

"Because I wanted to see my nephew in action. And now that you're here why don't you make your Auntie one of your famous Frozen Midnight cocktail."

"Charley I don't have time now, Christian will be home soon."

"Come on Olli just one cocktail it won't take you very long to make. And anyway the bar faces the door so you'll be able..." Charley stopped gave him a smile then continued as sweetly as possible, "you'll be able to see him when he... when he comes home."

**CHAPTER 9 - Deinstag und Mittwoch O pov eins (Tuesday and Wednesday O pov 1)**

Olli jerked awake.

He had fallen asleep on the couch while waiting for Christian to come home.

This fight with Christian had gone on for too long he realized.

Slowly getting up he headed to the kitchen to start up the coffee.

He switched on the coffee maker and turned around to head to the bedroom to wake up Christian.

That's when he saw it.

Christian's jacket draped over the back of a dining table chair.

One sleeve torn.

The events of the previous day hit him with the force of a hurtling train.

Christian was gone never to come back.

And it had been his fault entirely.

He carefully picked up the jacket and examined it.

He saw what Andi had seen the previous day.

The embroidered C and M on the collar.

Rebecca had done it for him so that Christian's this jacket wouldn't be misplaced by the dry cleaner like the previous one.

The previous day was a blur to him.

He blindly made his way to the bedroom with the hope that maybe it had all been just a nightmare and he would find Christian sprawled on their bed snoring.

With eyes closed he slowly pushed open the bedroom door.

But silence was all he heard.

There was no snoring.

He opened his eyes.

The bed was just as he had left it the previous day.

The grey t-shirt was still lying there, so were the property papers.

Beside these sat Erwin and Christian's satchel.

Then he remembered something

Where was the letter?

He had to find the letter.

Andi had the letter.

Where was Andi?

His friend's bedroom door was open but the biker was no where in sight.

He went back out into the living room wondering how he was supposed to go on after the center of his being had just disappeared.

He sat down at the dining table and stared at Christian's empty chair opposite him.

The coffee machine beeped informing him that its work was done.

But Olli's body refused to cooperate with him.

He heard the jingle of keys and the door opened

He looked up hoping against hope.

But Andi's entrance again confirmed that he was awake and all that he remembered of yesterday was the harsh cold truth.

He looked at his friend and simply said stoically

"He's really gone, isn't he?"

*_So Olli remembered_* Andi nodded in answer.

Then Olli asked

"Tell me you still have his letter."

Andi nodded again

Andi extracted the letter from his jacket pocket, where it had been the last almost 24 hours and handed it over to the man sitting at the table.

Olli carefully unfolded the paper.

Laying it on the table he smoothed out the edges so that he could read the words written on it by the beloved hand.

Andi stood watching him.

Wondering what Olli would do next.

Andi waited for the tears, the heart wrenching sobs.

But Olli sat as if carved in marble.

There wasn't a twitch.

Not even a blink of an eyelid.

His best friend just sat staring at the letter in front of him.

Andi almost startled when he saw Olli finally move.

Olli slowly caressed the writing with his finger tips as if it was Christian's body he was caressing.

Olli suddenly got up.

Clutching the letter in a death grip he headed to the bedroom.

Andi followed Olli through the hall door.

Andi wanted to comfort his friend in his time of grief.

But Andi soon realized that Olli had completely forgotten his presence when he had the bedroom door slammed in his face.

Andi stood outside the door hand poised to turn the handle when he heard the desperate wail.

Olli hurried into the bedroom all he wanted was to be close to Christian.

His eyes fell on the bed.

On Christian's side of the bed.

Christian's pillow

Christian's blanket.

He crawled into the bed and buried his face in the pillow breathing in deep lungful breaths of Christian's scent.

The realization that Christian's blond head would never touch this pillow again slowly crept into his mind and took a choking hold of him.

He couldn't help but bawl out his pain and misery.

Andi stood outside the door listening to the sobs.

Should he go in and comfort Olli? he wondered.

At that moment Helena came to stand beside him.

"So I guess it has sunk in." she whispered.

Andi just nodded still staring at the frosted glass.

"It's best that he cries and lets it out. Stemming the tears now maybe psychologically harmful to him. He needs this time of acceptance. We'll be here to catch him when he is ready." She told her boyfriend and led him to his room.

Time had no meaning anymore.

Olli stared out the window at the harsh blinding sunlight that told him it was definitely afternoon.

He watched a pair of pigeons come and sit at the window ledge and peck at the glass in displeasure.

Christian loved animals.

Every morning he would put out crumbs for the birds on their balcony and the on the window ledge.

"He's gone," Olli whispered to the birds.

But what do birds understand?

The pair continued pecking at the glass demanding their snack.

"He's gone," Olli yelled, "piss off and leave me alone."

The startled birds took off in a frenzy of loudly beating wings.

"I'm sorry," Olli whimpered before bursting into tears cursing himself for scaring away Christian's friends.

Olli's cell phone beeped informing him that he had a new text message.

He ignored the sound but after it beeped a dozen more times insisting he read the message he finally picked up the cell phone.

The message was from one of his friends in Ibiza who had just seen Olli's last vlog and hoped that Christian and Olli would clear up their misunderstanding soon.

A stupid misunderstanding over an even stupider man.

How was Olli supposed to know that a cretin named Rob would destroy the most precious gift that life had ever given him?

His eyes swept across the room and landed on the picture frames hanging on the wall by the closet.

Pictures of them together.

Pictures of them with their friends

Pictures of them with Gregor.

Gregor.

He had to tell Gregor.

He had to tell Gregor that...

How was he supposed to tell Gregor that his brother had...?

He lay staring at his cell phone.

Gregor had asked him to make one promise.

He had asked Olli to look out for Christian.

A simple request.

Even that Olli hadn't been able to keep.

He again buried his face in Christian's pillow to block out everything except Christian.

When he woke up again.

Darkness had surrounded him.

He crawled around until his hand touched the switch of Christian's reading lamp.

He flicked it on. Christian's alarm clock told him it was 9.

So he had slept right thru the day.

Maybe if he just stayed here he might be able to sleep right thru his life and then he'd be with Christian again.

He heard the click of the door handle and watched Andi enter.

"I saw the light on, so I ..."

"Came to take care of me." Olli said bluntly.

"Yes...No, I mean...Olli." Andi stammered searching for a suitable answer. There was none.

Finally Andi said, "You haven't eaten all day."

"I'm not hungry," the grief stricken man uttered before burying his face back in his lost love's pillow.

Approaching the bed Andi gently touched Olli's back and said, "You have to eat something."

Olli sprang up his eyes blazing; face twisted in fury and snarled through gritted teeth, "I said I. Am. Not. Hungry. Now get the fuck out of here and leave me the fuck. ALONE," his anger vented Olli slammed his face back into the pillow and blocked out the world again.

Andi wisely decided not to pursue the topic and crept out of the room shutting the door behind himself.

A broken heart does a lot of things to you.

It makes you depressed.

It makes you cry.

It makes you want to take your own life.

What it doesn't do is kill your hunger.

In the early dawn light Olli was forced to drag himself out of bed because of his growling stomach.

He rooted around in the fridge and found the bowl of pasta that he had cooked for Christian in anticipation of his return home.

Re-heating it, he served himself a portion and ate it slowly.

The pasta was cooked to perfection and the spices in the sauce were just right.

AND

It was the worst meal he'd ever had in his whole life.

At this moment he would give anything to taste that canned pasta Christian had cooked for all of them when Judith was still living with them.

Judith...

Sweet gentle Judith.

The girl who had nudged Christian to face up to his feelings.

If Christian in his time of denial hadn't chosen Judith to be their flat mate then maybe they wouldn't have ever become a couple and most probably Christian would still be alive today.

He hated Judith.

Why did she have to have such a strong gaydar?

No, he loved Judith.

If she hadn't been there he would have never known true love.

Even though they had, had only two short years. Those two years had been the best years of Olli's life.

Goal driven Christian had inspired him 'aimless Olli' to have a dream.

From that had emerged the 'New No Limits'.

The new night hot spot.

He had hoped to make No Limits Düsseldorf's number one lounge bar.

He had got so wrapped up in making No Limits a success he had jumped at the opportunity to work with Rob.

But the day Rob entered No Limits **He** had spelt the beginning of the end for Christian and him.

He had taken Rob for a fool but was it possible that the man was in actuality a real conniving bastard.

Things had started to go downhill from the day Rob had decided to make No Limits' grand success his pet project.

Olli stared intently at the pasta on his plate.

The person who truly appreciated it was now gone.

But maybe he wasn't.

They hadn't found his body.

Maybe he had managed to swim to safety.

But it had been almost two days.

So he should have been home by now.

Christian was like a homing pigeon.

Nothing could stop him from coming home.

Olli picked up his plate.

He hadn't been able to eat more than a few morsels of the pasta.

Dumping the rest down the garbage disposal, he washed his plate and kept it on the dish rack to dry.

The rest of the pasta still sat in the bowl.

He grimaced at it and was just about to throw the whole bowl in the garbage bin when Andi's strong hand stopped him.

"No," his friend firmly commanded.

"This won't solve anything Olli."

"Andi he's gone," Olli whispered as the tears started to fall again.

watch this video

.com/watch?v=8-wCDGWHnL4

only then read further

They were at the karaoke bar for Gregor's bachelor party.

Christian was singing to him.

*_He has such a beautiful voice._*

Olli couldn't help but feel proud that this man was all his.

Christian knew that particular Peter Gabriel song always made him cry so he was purposely singing it to him.

Was the song a hint from Christian that he wanted to follow in Gregor's footsteps and make their relationship official?

Yes, Olli would fulfill Christian's this wish.

Yes, they would take the plunge.

He had even seen the perfect rings on display in a jewelers shop window at Koenigsalle.

Tomorrow he would go and buy the rings

He turned over to cuddle into Christian and his arm fell across the emptiness.

He woke up with Christian's voice still humming in his ears and realized that it was all too late.

Chapter End Notes:

The song that Christian sang

.com/watch?v=8-wCDGWHnL4

Please listen it's just too...

**Once you've listened to it only then review.**

**CHAPTER 10 - Mittwoch O pov zwei (Wednesday O pov 2)**

His cell phone rang constantly. He switched it to silent mode, end of problem.

He didn't want to talk to anyone.

He was on his way back to the bedroom after visiting the bathroom when the door bell rang.

He first thought of ignoring it but the constant buzzing got to him.

He finally opened it and found himself face to face with Rob.

"Hi there!" Rob said with one of his smirks.

"Rob please go away." Olli almost begged.

"So you and pony boy are still at each other's throats. How sad." Rob said making a mock weepy face.

Olli slammed the door in the man's face.

He turned to head back to the bedroom when the door bell started buzzing again.

He yanked it open and found Rob still standing at the very same spot.

"Come on Schatz we have business to conduct."

"Why don't you and your business take a hike to hell with all my compliments."

"Hey, that's no way to talk to the man who is going to make No Limits and you famous." Rob said his cool façade finally showing a crack.

"Rob, No Limits is going to be closed until further notice. So there isn't going to be any 'business' to conduct."

"It was your boyfriend's idea wasn't it?" Rob said drawing his own stupid conclusions making Olli feel like knocking the man's lights out.

"Can't you see he is detrimental to your career? Dump him as soon as you can baby." Rob advised him.

Olli reined in his rising anger and strong wish to inflict bodily harm on the man. Instead he said as calmly as possible.

"For your information closing No Limits is completely my idea. And Christian has already dumped me. So there. Now could you please just leave? I'll call you when we re-open. If I ever do re-open"

Realizing that any and all business that he could have conducted here had been brought to a grinding halt Rob quickly left without any further adieu.

Olli watched him leave with a sigh of relief and a whimper of realization that his this decision came a little too late.

**CHAPTER 11 - Donnerstag (Thursday)**

Olli lay wrapped up in the bedclothes with his head buried in the pillow.

It had been 72 hours since he had realized that Christian wouldn't be returning.

People came and went at regular intervals.

Coaxing him to eat.

He had tried everything crying, screaming, begging but they refused to leave him alone.

But this time instead of slowly, the door was opened forcefully.

Olli just buried himself further into the bed.

Then he heard the angry voice, "Olli what is this?"

It was **him**.

Who had called **him**?

He had the sheets yanked off of him and felt himself being bodily picked up by four strong arms.

"Phew ...you stink." Gregor commented once he and his bodyguard had placed Olli on his feet.

"Man! When was the last time you took a shower?"

*_the day my world fell apart_* Olli thought ready to collapse back onto the bed.

"Four days ago." Andi chimed in.

"Come on" Gregor said and dragged Olli out of the room and pushed him into the bathroom.

Olli stood in the middle of the bathroom. Wondering why he was there.

"Olli are you done?" Luise's voice asked before she peeked in and saw him standing with a blank look on his face staring into space.

He heard her talking to someone.

Next thing he knew Charley was undressing him.

She quickly unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off his body.

"Charley what the heck are you doing," he demanded as the lady tugged at his jeans.

"Undressing you." She said bluntly as she unbuttoned his jeans and yanked it down then reached for his boxers.

He grabbed her hands.

"Olli, it's nothing I haven't seen before. I used to baby sit you all the time when your mother and I were still on talking terms."

"But I was a child then." Olli countered in embarrassment

"Oliver! You'll always be my child. Now do you want me give you a bath like I used to when you were 3."

"No, I can manage on my own."

But she refused to exit the bathroom.

He closed the shower curtains around him and turned the knob dousing himself in cold water.

He shivered; but who gave a damn if the water was hot or cold.

"Now isn't that better," Charley asked as she gently rubbed his hair dry.

"Whatever," Olli said dispassionately then he asked just as flatly

"Now may I go?"

She nodded and placed a kiss on his forehead before letting him get up.

As he entered the hall to head to the bedroom he saw Helena come out with the bedclothes in her hand.

"What are you doing?" he hissed at the girl.

"They have to be washed Olli."

"Leave them alone and get lost."

"But they're dirty."

"I don't care. Just give me the sheets and leave." He snarled at the girl visibly scaring her.

She dumped the sheets and ran out.

Olli picked them up and went into the bedroom.

This time he made sure the door was locked so that no one would disturb him.

He just wanted to be left alone with his memories.

He lay quietly for a few minutes when it suddenly occurred to him that he had seen Gregor and Luise.

*_Who had called them?_* he thought in a panic.

Jumping out of bed he rushed out of the room

He found Charley still sitting on the couch perusing through a magazine.

"Was Gregor here?" he asked her

"Yes, and he's still here. He's downstairs."

"Who called him?" Olli asked uncomfortably

"I did." Charley informed him

"Why?" he asked his eyes wild with fear.

"Because he is Christian's brother." Charley said as if talking to a child then she coaxed gently rubbing his shoulder "Go talk to him."

"What am I supposed to say to him Charley? Hey Gregor! Guess what? I drove your brother to suicide." Olli said sarcastically as tears blinded him again.

But he didn't have to go any where because the door opened and in came Gregor.

Olli stood stock-still trying to read Gregor's face wondering if he would console Olli or condemn him.

Gregor walked slowly towards him, his shoulder slumped in tiredness and grief marring his features.

Olli felt himself being enfolded into the solid frame.

So like Christian ...but still so different.

"Gregor I'm so sorry," Olli cried, "I'm so, so sorry, I couldn't keep my promise. I didn't take care of him."

Gregor pulled away a little so he could look into Olli's face

"Shhhh...shush...it was nobody's fault." Gregor said through his own tears wiping Olli's face.

"It was all my fault." Olli said vehemently dissolving into gut wrenching sobs.

Gregor held him close and gently rocked him rubbing a soothing hand on Olli's back.

The day passed slowly for the occupants of the flat share.

Every one huddled together in their grief but mostly sat together in concern for Olli.

They watched him like a hawk.

Though his grief hadn't dissipated his guilt had lightened after talking to Gregor.

Everyone turned to look at him when he came back out into the living room a large sheet of paper in hand.

"I'll stick this to the entrance door of No Limits." Olli told them.

"What is it?" Andi asked curiously

In answer Olli handed him the sheet

Reading it he passed it to Gregor.

Gregor and Luise read it and passed it to Charley, who handed it back to Olli.

**Dear Patrons**

**Due to the untimely demise of a family member**

**No Limits will be closed until further notice**

_By order of_

_Proprietors_

**_C_**_hristian _**_M_**_ann_

**_O_**_liver_**_ S_**_abel_

**CHAPTER 12 - Samstag (Saturday)**

Five days had gone by since Christian's ...disappearance.

But with each passing day the pain only got worse.

"Olli how long are you going to keep No Limits closed?" Gregor asked as he watched Olli potter around the bar and rearrange the furniture.

"Christian doesn't like these silly chairs. I think I'll change them." Olli said completely ignoring Gregor's question.

Gregor grimaced at Olli's back.

Olli's unpredictable behaviour was annoying him completely.

Olli's moods kept swinging between denial and despair.

This was one of his denial hours.

And his denial was fueled more by Luise's claim that '_until his body is found Christian cannot be declared deceased_'

Gregor loved his wife's optimistic streak but in this case the optimism wasn't helping.

His back still turned to Gregor Olli said, "I know you think I'm mad but can't I fantasize for just a few minutes that the next time that door opens it'll be Christian walking in. That he'll kiss me; ask if I need any help before he heads upstairs to study. And yes I will open No Limits again. I'll re-open on Monday."

"Olli I'm just worried about you. After all that's happened wouldn't it be better if you sell?"

Olli turned to face Gregor, "To sell you need the consent of both owners and Christian isn't here. So how can I sell?" he said with a sad smile

Gregor frowned "But didn't he transfer all rights to you after he bought my shares."

Still smiling Olli informed him, "The papers that say he has bought your shares are in the bank locker along with the papers that were drawn up when I became your partner. And the ones that said I was full owner have been torn into four neat pieces and then been run through the shredder."

Olli left a stunned Gregor standing in the middle of the bar.

Obligations to her people and her Kingdom meant that Luise and Gregor couldn't stay in Düsseldorf more than a day and a half.

So on Saturday afternoon they headed back

"Call us if you need anything," Gregor said sadly to Olli as he climbed into the limo. Knowing full well that he could do nothing further for his brother's boyfriend who he had hoped he would one day call his brother in law.

Luise hugged Olli tightly

"Officially he's still just missing," Luise said vehemently refusing to give up hope.

Olli hugged her tighter hoping that some of her optimism would rub off on him.

After the royal couple left.

Olli turned to the people standing around him.

"Can I have the flat all to myself just for tonight and tomorrow?"

They all started to speak at once

Olli raised his hand to silence them.

"I promise I won't do anything foolish. It's just that I always wanted one night and one whole day alone with Christian with no interruptions."

"But..." Charley began to argue

"Charley please I'll call you tomorrow night."

Giving him one last worrisome look one by one all his friends left.

Once everyone left him alone Olli went shopping.

He picked out all of Christian's favourite food and two bottles of champagne.

He bought a few knick knacks.

Then he walked to his last stop - the jewelry store.

He stood looking at the rings on display for the longest time; wishing that he had Christian's measurement.

He stared at his own fingers. They were thick, with knotted knuckles and rough with calluses due to their constant contact with water and acidic liquids.

Christian's finger's though longer than his were slender and they were soft.

He closed his eyes and remembered how they would skim his skin when they made love.

So his ring would definitely have to be a size smaller than Olli's.

He entered the store and pointed out the ones that he had chosen.

For the first time in his life Olli was thankful to have that piece of rectangular plastic called a credit card in his wallet.

He already knew what he wanted inscribed in Christian's ring.

He cooked at leisure; there was no one to hurry for.

He set the table for two.

Poured the champagne in two flutes.

Then sat down to eat.

He toasted the chair opposite him and took a sip of champagne.

But the empty chair mocked him.

So he just chugged down all the champagne at one go and refilled his glass.

After his third glass he realized that Champagne definitely wasn't the medicine he needed so he dug up the bottle of vodka that he had stashed away for emergency use in No Limits.

This definitely qualified as an emergency.

He took a few long gulps of the burning liquid and felt his head happily hum.

He was drunk and the pain had slightly numbed.

He took out the ring box from his pocket.

Flipping it open he stared at the two identical gold bands.

Taking out the larger one he slipped it onto his right hand ring finger.

His eyes focused on the vacant chair he spoke

"_I, Oliver Sable, take you Christian Mann, to be my husband.__  
__To share the good times and hard times side by side.__  
__I humbly give you my hand and my heart__  
__as a sanctuary of warmth and peace, __  
__and pledge my faith and love to you.__  
__Just as this circle is without end, my love for you is eternal.__  
__Just as it is made of incorruptible substance, my commitment to you will never fail._

_I take thee as mine in this life and every life henceforth. With this ring, I thee wed._"

The food lay forgotten as Olli stumbled over to the couch in tears and collapsed onto it.

He soon fell into an alcohol induced fitful sleep.

It was their wedding reception.

Their first dance together as a married couple.

Christian looked at him, the clear sky blue eyes sparkling like gems.

Christian smiled at him before he gently captured Olli's lips.

Olli felt the lips touch his and let Christian's intoxicating scent surrounded him.

He knew it was a dream so he just savored the dream kiss.

Suddenly he felt a hand gently caress his cheek as the kiss continued and realized it was no dream.

He opened his eyes and stared at the person kissing him.

He scrambled away from the touch and the mischievously smiling face.

As his brain registered who had kissed him he let out a blood curdling scream.

**Chapter 13 - Montag Mittag C pov vier (Monday Midday C pov 4)**

When would the renovations get over?

He couldn't take the noise anymore.

He scrunched up his face *_That damn stink_.*

The sewage must be blocked again he could smell the disgusting odor right up to his second floor bedroom.

Who the hell had pulled back the curtains and turned off the heat?

He felt around for his pillow and pain shot through his arm.

He whimpered into consciousness.

Reality slowly seeped in.

He wasn't in his bedroom lying on his bed.

He was lying face down next to a swampy river covered in sludge.

Where was he?

How did he get here?

Where was Olli?

He slowly tried to get up.

Pain gripped his body but he fought through it to slowly turn over on to his back.

His eyes focused on the clear noon sky.

Then he heard a relieved yell

"He's alive. It's not a floater."

A man yelled to his companion.

A kind middle aged man's face came into his field of vision as he crouched beside him

"Olli?" He hoarsely whispered.

"Son who are you?"

"Olli?" He whispered weakly wondering where his boyfriend was.

"Hi Olli! I'm Sasha. Are you hurt?"

"I don't know." He whimpered

"Okay! it's all right." The man said gently caressing his hair.

"The ambulance will be here soon." He cooed.

"Don't fall asleep." Sasha said gently shaking him

"But I'm so tried."

"You can sleep once you're in the ambulance child. Okay."

"Okay." The boy said meekly and tried to keep his eyes open.

**CHAPTER 14 - Deinstag Morgen (Tuesday Morning)**

He jerked awake from the terrible nightmare.

The room was bright with sunlight.

He took in his sterile surrounding.

He wondered how he had managed to land up in a hospital of all places.

*_I must have fallen out of the tree house again_.

_It was childish on my part to climb into that place anyway._

_I am 17 and a senior in high school._

_But there is no other place where I could sit and study in peace._

_I hate my friends all they care about are girls and getting laid._

_How dare they make fun of my ambition to become a teacher?_

_Screw them all_*

He looked around and saw a strange old man dozing in a chair beside his bed.

*_A male nurse in our small town hospital?_*

He cleared his throat hoping to wake up the man and ask him to go get his Papa.

The old man startled awake.

He rubbed his eyes and looked at the young man lying on the hospital bed.

"Could you please go and get Papa?" the blond man requested meekly.

That was a strange request from a grown man.

*_Definitely brain damage_* the gentleman surmised.

"Yes, of course son we'll call him right now. But first let me check your vitals."

The kindly old man shone a torch in his eyes to check his pupils.

Then checked his pulse.

Finally he adjusted the bandages on his arm.

That's when the young man realized that his left arm was tightly bandaged and throbbing.

*_My this fall has been worse than the previous two_* he thought.

*_Papa hates spending money. He must be so angry._*

*_I wish Gregor hadn't left us to seek his fortune in the big city._

_He would have definitely protected me from Papa's drunken wrath._*

*_It would be best if I just got it over with while I'm still in hospital._

_At least here Papa won't be able to beat me._*

So he again requested softly, "Sir, please call Papa. I want to see him."

The elderly man smiled. "Of course I'll get him right now. But why don't you take a nap while I go get him."

The kindly old gentleman adjusted the drip and injected something into it.

Then the gentleman quietly left.

The young man felt his eyes droop and sleep again overtook him.

**CHAPTER 15 - Deinstag Abend (Tuesday Evening)**

The next time he woke up the room was dark and his Papa was still nowhere to be seen.

He stretched and again realized that he had an injured arm.

*_Oh Papa is definitely going to kill me_*

He desperately needed to relieve himself.

He spotted the calling buzzer and pressed it.

Instantly a smartly dressed pretty young nurse came hurrying in.

"I need to go to the bathroom" he told her shyly.

The nurse smiled at him as she removed the drip from his hand.

Then said softly,

"There now you're free."

Unable to bear the pressure anymore he almost ran into the bathroom.

With a sigh of relief he emptied his bladder.

After flushing as he started to exit the bathroom he caught his image in the mirror hanging over the wash basin and was stunned.

He rubbed his right hand on his cheeks.

*_Wow! That's some beard dude_.*

He had started shaving only a couple of months back so it was shocking that he had grown such a heavy beard overnight.

And his hair - it was longer.

What was going on?

It was impossible that he had been in hospital only a day.

He must have lying in here for months.

Like they showed in the movies he must have been in a coma!

But in the movies when the person finally woke up he would also have lost his memory.

*_Hmmm... let me check_*

*_Name: Christian Mann_*

*_Age: 17_*

*_Occupation: High School Student_*

*_Father's name: Wolfgang Mann_*

_*Brother's name: Gregor Mann_

*_Girlfriend's name: Nadja Schaller_*

*_Nope no memory loss_*

He was just fine.

The kindly gentleman he had met earlier that morning entered the room

"It's good to see you awake Olli," the gentleman said smiling.

"Olli! Who is Olli?" Christian asked completely puzzled and a frown creased his forehead

"That's your name son, isn't it?"

"No, of course not. My name is Christian Mann."

"Okay," the man wrote it down on the patient's information clipboard hanging at the foot of the bed.

"Now can you call Papa? I want to see him."

"I'm sorry I have no idea where your father is."

"Come of it dude he was the one who brought me in right?"

"No, my wife and I found you lying by the side of the river."

"River? What river? This is some kind of a joke, right. There is no river for miles any where around Bremm" (sorry if this is untrue I have no idea about Germany's geography)

"Bremm? Son you're in Levenkusen and I found you by the side of the Rhine." (sorry if this is untrue I have no idea about Germany's geography)

*_How did I get here?_* Christian was completely confused.

Had he tried to run away to Düsseldorf to be with Gregor? For the life of him he couldn't remember.

"Who are you anyway?" Christian demanded rudely

"I'm Dr. Sascha Ehrlich" the gentleman answered

"And where did you say you found me?" Christian questioned shortly

"A few kilometers from here by the river side."

"Oh Man! Papa is going to be **so** mad." Christian said in fear.

The young man's obvious teenage behaviour told Sascha that the boy's location was the least of anyone's worries.

"Son how old are you?" he asked gently.

"17."

"And what year is it can you tell me." Sascha gently questioned.

"Why are you asking me such silly questions?" Christian demanded annoyed.

"Just checking that you don't have brain damage. So can you tell me what year is it?"

Christian rolled his eyes

"2002 of course."

Sascha was stunned, *_the boy has lost 8 years. That's definitely a massive chunk_*

While Sascha stood thinking Christian gave a loud sneeze

"Gesundheit" the doctor said automatically and headed out of the room hoping to consult the brain specialist. Then he would have to contact his psychiatrist colleague as she would be better qualified to inform Christian that he had lost 8 years of his life.

Christian sneezed for maybe the hundredth time and blew his nose in the tissue but it still tickled causing him to sneeze again.

These dry sneezes were driving him crazy.

The nurse who had brought him his dinner had jovially said with a wide grin

"Someone is definitely missing you terribly that's the only thing that would make you sneeze like that."

**Chapter 16 - Mittwoch Morgen (Wednesday Morning)**

Christian suddenly awoke at dawn with a terrible craving for pasta.

The craving was so strong that he could almost smell the aroma that it would emit.

Another smell that was intermingled with the aroma of the pasta was of cologne which completely puzzled his drowsy mind.

He drank some water, visited the bathroom and then fell into a peaceful slumber though he still craved pasta.

"Ma'am you're yankin' my chain, right? It can't be 2010" Christian said scowling at the lady sitting across the desk.

"I'm sorry Herr Mann. But it's true," the lady said apologetically.

"I got old." Christian sneered in disgust.

He was completely pissed off with his current situation.

"25 isn't old! You're quite young." Sascha soothed him

"What do you know? You're ancient." Christian said rudely.

Sascha laughed the boy had taken in his predicament quite calmly.

Like any other teenager the fear of old age outweighed the problem that he had lost a major chunk of his memory.

Sascha escorted Christian back to his hospital room.

As he sat watching the boy climb into the bed Sascha sent up a silent prayer of thanks that luckily there had been no injury to the boy's brain.

So the elderly physician was sure it was only a matter of time before the boy remembered something. All the boy needed was a trigger.

But what was Christian supposed to do until the time he regained his memory.

An injured arm ruled out any kind of physical work maybe he could read to elderly patients.

"Can you read?" Sascha asked the young man once Christian had settled down in the bed.

"Of course I can read. My ambition is to become a teacher."

Christian's mood instantly brightened and he chirped "Hey if I'm 25 then I must have completed college and become a teacher by now right."

"I guess so." Sascha answered slowly.

"Wow! A teacher! I wonder which classes I teach."

"We found you wearing a riding habit." Sascha supplied hoping that would trigger something.

Christian got very excited. Giving the doctor a wide grin he said

"Oh! Really! That means I must be rich if I can afford horses or I must be living with Gregor."

"Who is Gregor?" Sascha got excited as well this was finally going somewhere.

"My elder brother. He went to Düsseldorf to seek his fortune and become a rich man."

"Okay we finally have a clue as to where you belong. The thought had crossed my mind you might have some link to Düsseldorf when I saw the No Limits key chain."

"What's No Limits?" Christian questioned curiously.

"A bar in Düsseldorf. Here, you had this set of keys in your pocket." Sascha said extracting Christian's key ring from the coat pocket and handed them to the younger man.

"You must definitely be a regular customer there because these were handed out to the invitations only guests at their DJ Pepper Punk Jazz Party. I know because my son got an identical one."

Christian stared at the key ring intently it definitely looked familiar

"DJ Pepper Punk?" the name tickled Christian's brain bringing to mind a man with buzz cut hair.

When did he ever notice men let alone their hair cut?

*_Christian you're going cuckoo_* Christian mentally chided himself.

At that same moment Sascha was mentally congratulating himself.

He was helping a patient.

It was something he hadn't done since had been forced to retire due to his failing health.

He remembered how his wife Myrna had almost dragged him to go strolling with her on the river side.

To rescue a boy and then have him turn out to be from Düsseldorf.

It definitely wasn't a coincidence.

God had definitely sent this boy to him on purpose.

Myrna was the religious one.

So obviously God was testing him to see if he was really worth his Myrna.

He would have to cut short this vacation.

They would be returning home tomorrow and this boy would be going along with them.

Helping this boy get back home was Sascha's mission now.

**Chapter 17 - Donnerstag (Thursday)**

Christian looked out the taxi window and watched the passing scenery with rapt attention.

He couldn't wait to get to Düsseldorf and find Gregor.

He wondered what he had done all these years.

But if he owned a riding habit and was invited to exclusive parties then he definitely must be rich or at least Gregor must have struck it rich.

He looked around the simple room that the kind doctor and his wife had let him stay in.

They said it had belonged to their son who was now working in Munich.

He looked at the clothes he was wearing.

*_Sascha's son must be quiet tall_* Christian thought as he cuffed the bottom of the jeans.

The kind couple had said they would take him round Düsseldorf later in the evening hoping to jog his memory or at least elicit some information about his brother.

Sascha and Myrna had been so tired by the journey from Levenkusen to Düsseldorf that they had both fallen asleep after lunch.

Christian hated not knowing if he really belonged in Düsseldorf or not.

Sascha had called his father's number in Bremm but the phone had been disconnected.

Christian wanted to punch something the wall was not an option so he punched the mattress.

The action sent a jolt coursing through his body.

Suddenly the face of a nasty looking hefty bald man emerged in his mind.

Then the mocking face said "Hit me you little faggot" making Christian growl.

Then instantly a second image rose it was of a man with a plaster on his left eyebrow and he was smiling at him.

That latter image of that smiling, gentle, trusting face somehow made Christian feel calmer.

He felt like a homing pigeon that had to fly just another few miles before it reached home.

It was a little after six when the Ehrlichs finally set out for a walk with Christian in tow.

Nothing in particular stood out or even looked familiar to Christian.

They had just crossed through a jogging park when Christian's eyes fell on a burnt building.

Beside the charred entryway lay a blackened sign which read 'Blue Eyes Café'

The image of a girl with messy curly blond hair came to his mind and made him think of "Coconuts and incense sticks."

"Was? Did you say something?" Sascha asked staring at him intently.

"Yes," Christian answered but knew if he said either coconut or incense sticks they'd definitely think he was mad.

So instead he said, "This building." and pointed at the abandoned structure, "I've been here."

Sascha felt slightly elated.

*_So the boy's brain is slowly rewiring itself. It's good sign_*

But he didn't want to get Christian's hopes up so he said in a neutral physician's tone that he had perfected over many decades

"That's good, Son. That means you either live around here or have friends in this area."

Sascha looked at his watch.

"It's 8 already. Time we headed back home."

"Okay" Christian mumbled dejectedly.

Myrna saw Christian's downcast look and gently patted his cheek, "Child tomorrow is a new day. You can continue your hunt tomorrow."

Christian meekly nodded.

The couple watched Christian eat.

"He sure has a very healthy appetite," Myrna remarked to her husband in a whisper as they stood together washing the dishes. "I just hope he isn't conning us."

"Myrna all we can do is trust our instincts. But just to be on the safe side put away your jewelry in the strong box and make sure it's properly locked." Sascha whispered back and threw a secret glance at Christian. He was relieved when he saw that the blond man was lost in savoring his food.

Taking a last look around the room he was to stay in Christian switched off the lights.

He lay down on the bed and instantly fell into a restful sleep.

He saw a man in a fire engine red jacket and dark blue jeans dancing around in a familiar kitchen to the cheery beats of a Lily Allen song.

*_Why do I know pop music_* Christian couldn't help but wonder.

The man was now waving a box of yogurt at Christian and approached him,

"I even bought your favourite yogurt," the stranger said.

For some reason this comment made Christian feel like giggling.

Then the man said, "Yeah! At least I was thinking of you while you had fun with sexy sports students," Christian knew he answered the man but he couldn't make out his own words. Then suddenly he was kissing the man.

Christian jolted awake but he could still feel the warmth of those dreams lips on his own.

**CHAPTER 18 - Freitag eins (Friday one)**

Christian's sleep was disturbed by the strong beam of sunlight falling right across his face.

He yawned but as he patted his open mouth to stem the yawn he remembered the dream he had.

He carefully rubbed his lips with two fingers wondering what that dream could have meant.

Did that mean Christian was gay? could be.

It also explained why he had always felt sweaty and out of breath around Hans Mierkel the hockey team captain.

But whatever he felt when he was with the man in the red jacket felt real as if they belonged together, if only he could remember.

Only thing that Christian was certain of was whoever that man may be he definitely had the most beautiful green eyes Christian had ever seen.

As he sat trying to remember every detail of that dream two names suddenly popped up in his head - Judith and Miriam.

He enunciated each name out loud.

When he said the name Judith the image of a cherubic brunette girl floated before his mind's eyes "_Yours is young love isn't it?_" he heard the girl asking him.

Then he said the name Miriam and what came to his mind made him chuckle.

It was like a looped video clip playing in his head.

He saw a blond waitress dropping a tray of hot coffee onto a man's lap making the poor man scream.

"Oh! Good Morning." Myrna cheerfully greeted him when he entered the kitchen.

"What would you like to eat?" she enquired.

"I don't know. All I know is that I'm hungry." Christian said and slightly stuck out his lower lip as he took a seat at the table.

"Boys! You never grow up." Myrna said as she opened the fridge to take out some eggs and a bowl of batter.

As she was closing the door Christian spied something in there.

"Yogurt," he shouted.

"So you want yogurt, hmmm." Myrna asked as she took out the sealed cup opened it and gave it to him handing him a spoon along with it.

"I love yogurt, especially blue berry yogurt." Christian said as he spooned a large helping into his mouth.

Christian was startled by his own answer.

He didn't eat yogurt when he had been in Bremm. Papa didn't like frivolous expenditure.

"I think I started eating yogurt after I found Gregor and started living with him." he said out loud but his declaration was addressed to nobody in particular.

Myrna's doubts of the previous night dissipated just a little. The boy truly seemed to be ailing from amnesia.

She sat looking at him as he finished the yogurt and then proceeded to chow down the pancakes, sausages, 2 hard boiled eggs and 6 jam sandwiches.

"For a person who eats so much it's a wonder you aren't the size of a sperm whale." the lady said and chuckled

Christian stopped in mid bite.

"Say that again,"

"For a person who eats so much it's a wonder you aren't the size of a sperm whale." Myrna repeated.

Her words drew up the image of a blond girl busily snapping pictures of him riding a horse.

"Horses," Christian said out loud.

"Did you remember something?" Myrna asked unable to control her enthusiasm.

"Yes, I am not a teacher. I think I work with horses."

"You're too tall to be a jockey." She said thoughtfully, "Maybe you became a vet." he finished enthusiastically.

"It's possible. Man! This is so frustrating." Christian snapped angrily and slammed his fist on the counter.

Myrna gently kissed his forehead and hugged him, "Shhh... have patience it's coming back. It'll all come back to you soon enough."

He liked Myrna's perfume and took in a deep breath of it.

It reminded him of meadows covered in flowers and ... a prancing cow wearing a frilly purple blouse.

He sat reading the newspaper as he waited for Sascha and Myrna.

They had said they would take him to a brain specialist and then take him around Düsseldorf.

Restarting with Blue Eyes Café which he had recognized the previous evening they would walk around a bit and then head to No Limits as that was the only solid lead they had of his missing years.

He read the front page headlines - nothing special.

He read the crime watch column - other than a fat thief who got stuck in a vent while trying to escape nothing else caught his attention.

He turned the page to the entertainment and society columns.

There he saw something that grabbed his attention and held it firm.

It was a picture of a dark ash blond man. The fact that he knew exactly what colour the man's hair was caught him off guard but his puzzlement was soon replaced by anger when the words "I just want to get into his pants," rang in his ears clear as a bell, followed by a mocking laugh and a nickname that he despised "Chrissie baby."

Christian didn't know the man in the picture but he was sure he hated him.

The visit to the brain specialist had been cheering; Christian wanted to kiss the man when he had said that his memory loss was hopefully only temporary as there had been no injury to the brain.

On the other hand their walk had been a disappointment. Just as the previous evening nothing other than the burnt building looked remotely familiar.

As they continued walking they passed by an industrial parking lot which was cordoned off with large thick iron barred fencing.

Christian came to a grinding halt by the parking lot and stared through the bars at the vehicles, something about those bars which were painted a dull grey made Christian shiver in fright he grabbed Myrna's arm.

"What is it sweetheart?" she asked in concern.

Christian felt dizzy and his head was throbbing.

He slapped a hand to his mouth, running over to the nearest garbage can he threw up and sank to the ground. As his head ached he could clearly see his father run out of a petrol station and hand him a gun and a black ski mask.

Christian started sobbing uncontrollably as his memories of the public humiliation he had faced in Bremm and his hardships of prison slowly clawed their way out oblivion and took root again.

Sascha and Myrna had watched in alarmed concern as their young charge had regurgitated his food and then burst into heart wrenching sobs.

The couple carefully helped the young man to his feet and hailed a taxi.

As Christian's tears finally seized he realized that they were on their way back to the Ehrlich's home and he finally spoke, "Please take me to No Limits my brother owns it."

**Chapter 19 - Freitag zwei (Friday 2)**

Sascha could have jumped with joy; he couldn't believe that in two days flat they had helped this young man find his way back home.

But his elation dimmed when they reached the bar.

The establishment was closed.

Sascha got out of the taxi and spoke to a kindly passerby.

Christian watched Sascha approach the man and strained his ears to hear the man's answers to Sascha's enquiries.

"Sir, this place," Sascha asked pointing at No Limits, "it's owned by a certain Gregor Mann isn't it?"

The man answered politely but regretfully, "Not any longer. He sold it to Herr Sabel before he left the country in March."

Christian's elation evaporated like the morning mist when he heard these words and he sank back into the taxi seat.

Gregor had left him alone - again.

Sascha then asked, "Can you tell me what time they open for business?"

"They most probably won't open for sometime. There has been a death in Herr Sabel's family so they'll most probably open again only after an appropriate time of mourning."

Even though Christian was weighed down by his own dejection and disappointment he couldn't help but feel sorry for the unknown Herr Sabel.

Losing a family member was always painful Christian knew this from personal experience.

After some more small talk with the stranger Sascha dejectedly climbed back into the taxi.

"Christian I'm sorry," he apologized to the young man.

"That's my family," Christian retorted with a bitter smile, "I could never count on them, they always abandon me the first chance they get."

"Can we go back to your place now please? I'm feeling so tired." Christian begged the older couple.

"Of course," Myrna said as Sascha gave the taxi driver their address.

Christian popped a couple of painkillers and lay in bed waiting for the throbbing in his head to cease.

His thoughts were in a whirl.

He couldn't believe that he had become convicted felon.

Worse his father was a thief.

Gregor had become a prostitute? His brother's dreams of riches had lead him to trade his own body for money.

Was **this** really his family?

Christian realized that with the return of his memory maturity had also found him and made him realize that life was definitely not as easy as he had chalked it up to be.

Being screwed over by your own father though was beyond his comprehension.

Thankfully he soon sank into oblivion as the painkillers took effect and he fell into a dreamless sleep.

After he woke up and joined the couple in their dining room he watched Myrna set the table and knew it was appropriate to tell these kind people that his memories were returning.

How much ever distasteful they may be, Sascha and Myrna deserved to know that his memory banks were refilling.

After Myrna served everyone and took a seat Christian decided to start speaking.

He stared at the food laid out before him for a few seconds, the aromatic delicious ambrosial nourishment beckoned him, but Christian hardened himself. Putting his spoon back down beside his plate he spoke,

"I remembered what happened in my life until I came to Düsseldorf in search of my brother."

He paused a second then continued before either of the couple could say anything he declared

"I went to prison for my father," Sascha's and Myrna's faces which had lit up when he had said the first statement now darkened.

Christian stared unblinking at his hands lying in his lap; he couldn't bring himself to look at the lined faces of the kind people who had taken him in.

"I know you won't believe me if I told you I didn't do anything. But I'd understand if you want to throw me out into the street now."

Christian waited desolately for the couple's furious, disgusted reaction and knew he wouldn't be able to block out the words of condemnation that were sure to follow.

**CHAPTER 20 Freitag Drei (Friday 3)**

Sascha ran his fingers through his thinning grey hair then patted them.

Myrna and he exchanged a worrisome glance.

His wife grasped his hand and the couple looked at the young man who sat in front of them.

The poor boy was the image of despair and the words he said to them broke their aging hearts.

Christian truly needed them.

The older gentleman finally broke the silence

"So you were in jail?"

His head still bent Christian nodded his head.

"Hmmm... for what exactly?" Myrna asked.

"For holding up a petrol station," Christian mumbled.

"But you were framed?" she asked again.

"No, I took the rap for my father's sake." He finally looked up at the couple again and finished his explanation, "he has a bad heart, so I went to prison in his place."

"That was really noble of you. I don't think Lukas would have done the same for me had I been in your father shoes and my son in yours."

"I don't know whether it was noble or plain stupid. What I do know is that once I had a police record my ambition of becoming a teacher went up in a puff of smoke."

"You said you remembered something to do with horses?" Myrna suddenly reminded him.

"Yes, I did but it has kind of got a bit more clearer, I now remember mucking out stables. Guess that means I do menial jobs at some stud farm or a riding school or something like that. So I'm a stable boy or a horse groom. Bottom line is I am exactly what I was in Bremm - a complete nobody. And as always I have nobody who cares whether I live or die."

"Oh sweetie please don't say that. You have us now. And we care." Myrna said vehemently as she got up and came round the table to embrace him to her bosom.

Christian looked up at the lined kind face and pleaded, "Can I stay here a few days at least until my arm heals and my memories clear up."

"Of course. You are welcome to stay with us as long as you want."

"Thank you." Christian said in relief and hugged back Myrna with his uninjured arm.

"I hate my family. I could never trust them. Look they abandoned me again." Christian declared with bitterness as Sascha and he sat watching the evening news.

"Don't stop trusting people just because **you** think that they let you down. You have to know their side of the story before you pass any judgment." Sascha adviced

"You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." Christian scoffed

"Sadly I know exactly what I'm talking about. I know from experience" The old man informed him

"Really?" Christian was taken aback.

"Yes, I once passed judgment without getting all the facts and that led me to almost lose Myrna." Sascha told him regretfully.

"You're lying. I don't think that's ever possible. I have known you guys only for a couple of days but it's obvious that you love her very much."

"Yes, I do love her more than life itself. But I also get jealous very easily." Sascha told him

"That's normal," Christian said basing his comment on his limited knowledge of life.

"No, it isn't. Jealousy can spell the end of a relationship I can tell you this from experience." Sascha told him forcefully

"Why what happened?" Christian asked with curiosity when he got such a volatile reaction.

Sascha took a deep breath and started speaking - -

"When I met Myrna she was studying to become an architect. We had a whirlwind romance and two months later we were married. She was the valedictorian of her class so was quickly snatched up by a prestigious construction company as an assistant to their star architect, who was a number one skirt chaser. He flirted with Myrna all the time. She had to bear it because she wanted the job but fool that I was I thought she welcomed his attentions even though she told me a million times over that I was the only one for her. My gut told me to trust her but my jealousy blinded me and I ignored everything else. After one of our blow ups I left her alone at our apartment and decided to spend the night at a motel to clear my head. A couple of hours later I felt so bad that I headed back home. Till this day I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't got home on time." Sascha paused and let out a shuddered breath his eyes moist.

Christian sat staring at Sascha a deep frown creasing his brow hoping it wasn't what he was thinking.

A few silent moments passed as Sascha composed himself and then he spoke again

"I came back and found her fighting off that sleazebag."

"Oh that's fucking horrible." It had been exactly what Christian had being dreading

"It was the hardest time we faced but that taught me a lesson to trust people and really listen to what they have to say instead of taking everything at face value and drawing my own stupid conclusions." Sascha told him honestly.

"Do you think that I should wait to be face to face with Gregor and my dad before passing judgement on them."

"Yes, of course. You had your accident on Monday which means that you most probably knew that your brother had sold his bar and had left the country."

Christian nodded

"But isn't it odd that no one has reported me as missing, don't I have any friends?" Christian said in exasperation.

"I really can't answer that question Christian, there are just too many 'maybes' Maybe you were off on vacation, maybe you were headed out of town for some work, maybe you were permanently moving out of Dusseldorf. All you can do is have patience and wait for your memories to return then everything will be cleared up on it's own."

Christian nodded his head again in complete resignation.

They sat silently watching the television as the news caster informed them of the changes to be implemented in hospitals pertaining to the care of cancer and all terminal patients.

"So what does your gut tell you about me. Am I trust worthy?" Christian suddenly wondered out loud

"Yah I think you're trust worthy. And the fact that you have an injured arm is insurance that should you try some shit I can easily whoop your ass." They both laughed, sharing in the easy companionship they had developed.

*_Trust is definitely the most important thing in any relationship_,* Christian thought as he headed to the bedroom

But he also got a gnawing feeling inside that Sascha's advice applied a lot in his life and not just only when it came to his relation with his family.

AS he dozed he saw the man with the emerald eyes accuse him angrily "You're just jealous of Rob," to which he answered just as forcefully "No, I'm not. That's just rubbish."

He jolted awake and saw Myrna standing at the bed room door calling him for dinner.

As he slowly sat up he couldn't help but feel frustrated. Who was that man with the green eyes and why was he haunting his dreams?

**CHAPTER 21 Frietag Mittnacht (Friday midnight)**

Christian woke up sobbing and tangled up in the sheets.

Many pieces of the puzzle that was his memory had suddenly clicked into place.

The barrage of information had not only overloaded his brain but also made his heart ache with grief.

The first memory that hit him was that - his father was dead and in his last days Christian hadn't been able to be by his side.

Christian could clearly remember the dark morning when he had stood by the sad grave of his parent dressed in the prison uniform with his hands restrained in handcuffs.

Many of the mourners had discretely pointed in his direction and snorted in disapproval as they sympathized with the deceased man's lot.

One whispered comment which stood out among all the others was made by a distant cousin of his father's -

"Wolfgang was dogged by bad luck all his life. First his wife died leaving him with two children to raise single handedly. Then to add insult to injury the elder one becomes a prostitute and the younger one first becomes a thief and then a murderer. Ever since his wife passed away Wolfgang never saw happiness even for a day in his life. Having these kind of horrendous disappointments as sons would send anyone to an early grave." she ended her speech with a disapproving sniff then shot Gregor and him a venomous look.

The shattered pieces of his memory were joining back together refilling his head with memories and experiences; but none of them were pleasant.

He was a convicted felon who had been to prison twice and was now out on parole.

He was a complete nobody and he had no family or friends to speak of.

He was all alone.

But suddenly ray of hope pierced his despair.

Something clicked in his mind and uplifted his spirits.

No...he wasn't alone!

He had a girlfriend!

His second one since he had been in Düsseldorf, he had a girlfriend - Coco.

Christian soundlessly crept to the living room and brought the cordless phone back with himself to the bedroom.

He dialed Coco's number and waited - patiently and full of hope until a recorded voice informed him curtly "The number you're trying to reach is no longer in service."

As he about to fling the phone away two more numbers popped up in his brain one was a fixed line number which he hazily remembered Gregor telling him was No Limits' contact number and the other was Gregor's cell phone number.

The No Limit's number was of no consequence as Gregor had sold it but the cell phone number was a solid lead He hurriedly punched it in. But unfortunately he crashed into disappointment once same recorded voice again curtly informed him,"The number you're trying to reach is no longer in service."

SO everyone had abandoned him.

He was truly all alone.

Nobody cared.

If he died right now his body would lie unclaimed in a morgue before been shipped off to some medical school for the student to cut up into tiny bits during their practical lectures of medicine.

Just another John Doe no one cared about.

He cried himself back to sleep as he cursed the world in general and his very existence in particular.

**CHAPTER 22 Samstag Morgen eins (Saturday Morning 1)**

This morning again the bright sunlight disturbed Christian's sleep causing him to bury his head under the pillow.

He didn't want to wake up.

He didn't want to spend another day searching for clues to a life which was probably aimless and most definitely friendless.

Myrna's soft singing pierced the thick dark clouds of his heartbroken thoughts.

But it wasn't her voice that had attracted his attention it was the song . He had heard that song many times before, but the singer hadn't been a woman.

Please listen

.com/watch?v=djRsFffHUGU&feature=related

Now read furthur

_Is it okay if I call you mine?__  
__Just for a time __  
__And I will be just fine __  
__If I know that you know that I'm __  
__Wanting , needing your love __  
__Oh ___

_If I ask of you is it all right __  
__If I ask you to hold me tight __  
__Through a cold, dark night __  
__'Cause there may be a cloudy day in sight __  
__And I need to let you know that I might __  
__Be needing your love __  
__Oh ___

_And what I'm trying to say isn't really new __  
__It's just the things that happen to me __  
__When I'm reminded of you ___

_Like when I hear your name, __  
__Or see a place that you've been __  
__Or see a picture of your grin, __  
__Or pass a house that you've been in __  
__At one time or another. ___

_It sets off something in me I can't explain. __  
__And I can't wait to see you again. __  
__Oh, babe, I love your love __  
__Oh __  
__And what I'm trying to say isn't really new __  
__It's just the things that happen to me __  
__When I'm reminded of you_

He could recall a soft baritone voice singing these words to him as he lay in a hospital bed.

He was sure that it wasn't his father's voice.

Neither was it Gregor's, his brother's voice was higher pitched while this voice that played in his head was baser and was very soothing. Frustration overwhelmed him when nothing else other than the softly singing voice came to him.

Dragging himself out of bed he went into the bathroom. As he picked up his toothbrush he stared at his reflection in the mirror and wondered what had happened in his life the previous two years.

He had been able to gauge from the memories that had come back to him that firstly he definitely belonged in Düsseldorf. Secondly that he had a girlfriend or at least he used to have a girlfriend two years ago, a frizzy haired girl named Coco who at the moment was M.I.A.

They had most probably broken up he ratioalized because his track record with women had always been horribly dismal. None of his relationships had ever crossed the ten month mark as he always got restless by the eighth month and would be looking for a way out.

So as he hooked up with her in the June of 2007 they had most probably not made it beyond April 2008.

As he stood lazily brushing his teeth he wondered in despair**:**

* _Will I __EVER__ find anyone who'll be my one true love? Someone in whose arms I'll find my home and the promise of forever_.*

As he took a shower his despair slightly evaporated and he started thinking logically. His mind went back to the conversation he had with Sascha the previous evening. There definitely were a lot of maybes in his case. Sascha had definitely hit the nail on the head when he had logically told him that most probably no one missed Christian because maybe he had actually been on his way out of Düsseldorf on vacation or business. But they were all conjectures, the truth could be anything.

As he dried himself he calmly decided to take it easy and let his brain heal itself at it's own pace.

He helped Myrna in the kitchen as well as he possibly could with his one uninjured hand and let slip that he remembered quiet a lot of what he had been up to since his release from prison the first time he had been there.

He told her about Gregor and how wonderful his brother was.

He told her about Nico who had been only a fair weather girlfriend and had abandoned him as soon as there had been trouble looming around him.

About Lars his lawyer who had got him off the bogus murder charges.

He cried as he told her about his father's death and the funeral he attended handcuffed and accompanied by two officers from the prison.

He finally told her about sweet Coco who had been the one writing beautiful letters to him in lieu of Nico so that he didn't feel lonely while he was in prison.

Myrna was overjoyed for him. He was healing very well and at a quick pace.

"But there is still a two year blank in my head." Christian said sadly.

"You have got back 8 years in a matter of 4 days maybe by this time tomorrow morning you'll have the last two back in there as well" Myrna told him giving him a encouraging smile and gently tapping his temple with her fore finger.

"I hope you're right."

"I always am. You can ask Sascha my words are never proved wrong. I have a gut feeling that tomorrow at this time you'll be home all snuggly and comfortable in your own bed."

"Snuggly!" Christian repeated giving an incredulous laugh.

"Yup! All snuggly - wuggly cuddled up with your favourite teddy bear under your soft blankie." Myrna said and pinched his cheek making him giggle in embarrassment.

"Myrna I'm 23... No ...25 and not a toddler so it's a bit impossible that as a grown man I'd sleep cuddled up with a teddy bear under a 'blankie'.

"It's quiet possible. You don't remember the past two years do you."

"Please I'm definitely not a cuddler." Christian quickly contradicted her statement.

"Have you ever seen yourself sleep? I'm sure you haven't. The way you hug your pillow it's obvious you are definitely a cuddler." Myrna teased him relentlessly.

Christian harrumphed, it was obvious that this was an argument that he would never win.

**CHAPTER 23 Samstag Morgen zwei (Saturday morning 2)**

Christian sat bored in front of the TV, remote in hand listlessly flipping through channels...

"Today we will learn the recipe for... ...fresh cakes of elephant dung ... shot on location in Cologne starring ... ...the President of Afghanistan ... ...and the new world chess champion ...went to the premier dressed to the nines ... garnished with a slice of lemon. ... and kids your new bedazzled cowboy hat is ready to be worn."

Nothing interested him so Christian finally switched it off.

He wandered the apartment peeped into the kitchen and saw that Myrna was busy in preparing Lunch.

He peeped into the study and found Sascha buried in the latest issue of National Geographic.

He didn't want to disturb either so he went back to the den and switched on the TV again. A boxing match being aired on ESPN caught his attention and he halted his channel surfing. The two men aggressively going at each other with their gloved fists struck a cord with Christian. He loved boxing, before he had gone to jail he had been a member of the boxing club that was near his home back in Bremm.

After he had settled himself in Düsseldorf he had even found out about the nearest Boxing Club and had been planning to join there to re-start his training.

Coco hadn't been very supportive about his this decision but Andi had encouraged him.

He missed Andi.

He knew had Andi been here right now he would have helped him definitely.

But that would be difficult now as Andi was on a Pan American bike trip to get over the broken heart that was Olivia's special gift to him.

That girl was a complete bitch she had very coolly burned down the Blue Eyes Café to the ground destroying Coco's record collection. It was impossible that someone as conniving and backstabber as her could even be related to someone as loyal and honest as Olli.

Woah... where had all that come from?

He giggled in triumph, the boxing match forgotten he sat back on the couch and let his mind wander.

He remembered the day he had first met that guy - Olli.

Coco had gone to visit Jana and Gregor was with Sarah at her doctor's appointment. His brother was going to become a father that was just so awesome.

He had being manning the bar when Andi's old best friend Olli had come in to have a cup of coffee. They had easily struck up a conversation.

That man was just so easy to talk to.

Olli ... Oliver Sabel... Gregor had sold No Limits to Olli?

Why had Gregor sold the bar to a waiter of all people?

Olli definitely wouldn't have had the cash to pay him.

Of course Charlie... his aunt she must have financed him.

Christian felt only relief. So the bar had been sold to a friend. He would go in tomorrow and meet Olli.

Olli would definitely help him locate Gregor and Coco.

Finally his life made sense again.

Myrna had been right he would be home soon.

He hoped Olli would help him.

He was sure that Olli would help him, that man had a soft heart and was a born helper.

More details of their first meeting slowly seeped out of the blankness and trickled to the fore front of his consciousness.

Olli had definitely looked cute as he had sat at the bar telling Christian of the time he had worked as a bartender at No Limits when it had been owned by someone named Nina.

Those beautiful green eyes had looked up at Christian with a warm friendly glow in them and they had seemed greener when paired with Olli's jet black hair which shone in the bright bar lights.

Olli had porcelain fair skin which looked so soft and smooth that Christian's hands had itched to touch it and ...

Why the fuck was he thinking of touching a man?

But the thought of Olli's face made him want to grin like a fool. He liked Olli, he wanted Olli and not just as a friend but as some thing much more, something completely different.

He frowned and squirmed with guilt.

How long would it be before Coco found out the truth? She would then leave him for sure.

And Gregor! How would Gregor react ...his brother would disown him ...

The cheers of the crowd on the television broke into his reverie jolting him back to reality.

*_It has been two years since I met Olli. Had Coco and Gregor already found out?*_

Was that why he couldn't contact either of them?

Had he chased Olli? He wished he could remember.

What he did remember clearly was :

Olli ...was a complete Adonis.

Olli had moved into the flat share above No Limits with Lars and him.

Olli was unlike any other man he knew.

Olli was always well dressed, neither a single crease on his clothes nor a single strand of that gleaming head of hair out of place.

Though Olli was a guy he never gave off an odor; actually he was always surrounded in a mist of the most intoxicating cologne that Christian had ever inhaled.

And he had such a beautiful voice ... Olli's voice was just so soothing.

That voice... Those eyes ... It was Olli ... Olli had been the one haunting him.

But Olli had kissed Coco.

Then the dreams he had of Olli kissing him must have been his own wishful thinking.

But Olli was gay.

Christian had found Olli wrapped around that all brawn no brain Timo.

Christian felt confused and again fell into depression.

Finally he came to a decision.

Maybe Olli was his only chance to contact Gregor but visiting Olli was out of question.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 24 Samstag Mittag und Abend eins (Saturday Noon and Evening one)**

Christian flung away the remote and got off the couch.

He felt trapped.

He felt suffocated in the apartment and had the sudden urge to breathe the fresh air to clear his head.

He saw Myrna come out of the kitchen and asked her, "Do you mind if I go out for a jog?"

"Of course not, sweetie."

Then she added, "You'll most probably be passing by the supermarket. So on your way back get 2 pounds of mince meat and half a pound of flour. I'll give you the cash."

Christian nodded in affirmation and mumbled, "Okay."

He ran at a steady pace taking deep breathes of the late morning air. It invigorated him.

Exercising always made him feel happy.

"It's because of the endorphins that are released," is what Olli had told him after their trip to the boxing club.

Christian felt angry, he had thought Coco would leave him should she find out about his feelings for Olli but instead she had cheated on him and kissed some random guy.

Christian growled and ran faster. If Olli hadn't been around he would have definitely gone and torn up that club where Coco had met that guy whoever the fuck he was.

Christian had been feeling very lonely ever since Andi had left but he was sure that Olli would be a good replacement for Andi, infact he would make a better friend as unlike Andi Olli could keep a level head in the worst of situations.

Christian stopped to catch his breath.

He felt a strange tightness in the left side of his chest. It felt like someone was squeezing his heart.

"Christian baby you ain't so young anymore. Take it easy old man." he mocked himself.

Once his heart rate and breathing had returned to normal he started off at a slow pace again.

He had known Olli for only two months but they had connected so easily.

The easy camaraderie they shared made Christian feel like Olli and he had been friends since Kindergarten.

"So maybe I should visit Olli."

Yes, he **would** definitely go to Olli.

Christian smiled "Jogging really helps jog my brain, clever Me.!" Christian preened and continued jogging down the street.

An item displayed in a shop window caught his eye and he stopped to admire it.

"Wow! That's one hot red jacket. It's just like Olli's. And boy does it look hot on him I wish I could kiss... KISS! Olli was the one who had kissed Coco. That fucking bastard!"

As he mentally started calling Olli the choicest of names a little voice squeaked in his brain, *_Stop the cussing he kissed you too_*

Olli confused Christian no end.

"That guy is such a ... he's such a ... what the fuck is he? And he said he loves me!"

"Olli I am coming right now to meet you and you better have some answers for me"

But by then Christian had reached the super market and it reminded him of the food that Myrna had prepared.

"Okay Olli you have a few more hours of respite. But be prepared to face me in the evening. Coz I'm coming to get you."

He entered the supermarket and walked through the aisles in search of flour before heading to the butcher's counter.

Christian's uplifted spirits when he returned back home intrigued Myrna and Sascha, and the couple couldn't contain their curiosity, "What's with the constant grinning Kiddo?" Sascha finally asked as they sat for lunch.

"I remember a lot more stuff. Seems I led quiet a adventurous life. And the Oliver Sabel who now owns No Limits is a friend of mine So I can go there and just ask him where the heck my brother is?"

"Oh Honey!" Myrna shrieked "I'm so happy for you. See my words are never proved false. Didn't I promise you that you'd be home by tomorrow."

"Yes, you had." Christian answered giving her a disarming deep dimpled smile.

"So you'll be heading home today evening." Sascha asked gently

"Yup! Thanks for everything that you've done for me." Christian said gratefully

"We're glad to be of service." Sascha told him and ruffled his hair.

"I'll pay you as soon as I can."

"No, need sweetheart. Just call us when you meet your family and your special one to inform us how things are." Myrna told him and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"I'll send back your son's clothes once I'm settled at home where ever that is." Christian promised her.

"No need It's not like he's gonna need them anytime soon." Myrna said as her eyes misted with tears. She quietly got up and retreated to the kitchen.

"Did I say something wrong?" Christian asked apologetically.

"No, of course not. She misses him a lot now that he's in Hamburg and can't visit us on a regular basis.

Christian frowned, "I thought he was in Munich,"

Sascha gulped, "His first job was in Munich but he's in Hamburg now."

"Oh okay," Christian dismissed all other thought and concentrated on his plate of food.

"Call us once you've settled back in your home okay." Myrna said and maternally kissed him on the cheek and smoothed his hair.

"Of course, I'll visit you again as soon as I can." Christian promised the couple and was on his way.

There was a spring in his step as he made his way to the bus stop.

He checked the bus listing and waited for his bus. As he stood looking around and taking in his surrounding his eyes fell on the newspaper stand. He bought a society and entertainment magazine and flipped through it. He read about a concert that Anna Maria Kaufmann his favourite singer would be giving at the end of the month. He read the reviews for the new horror movie "Zombies in the Chatroom."

Chatroom ... Halunke.

Coco had left for Goa!

Oh boy! She had found out about the kiss and she had gone ballistic!

Olli had messed up Christian's life well and good.

Christian growled in anger causing the people around him to stare at him with an expression which said, "Are you high!"

Christian started walking. Even the hounds of hell wouldn't drag him back to No Limits.

No, he would go back to No Limits and punch out Olli he definitely deserved it, *_No, he doesn't_* his conscience rebuked him sternly. *_He loves you. You're the one who used him and then hurt him by rejecting him_*

"Yes, I did. Didn't I?"

*_And what did he do?*_

"He came to my try outs to support me"

Christian had reached a park by then. He sat down on a bench and closing his eyes he continued his conversation with his conscience.

*_And how did you thank him?_* his conscience demanded.

"By rejecting him and hurting him again"

*_But even then he stood by you didn't he_* his conscience pricked him hard.

"I almost lost him when I started that fight at The Noon. Why did it take me so long to realize I love him?"

"I LOVE HIM!" Christian yelled in glee scaring the cluster of pigeons that had been lazily waddling around into a hasty flight.

Lost events and memories of his life with Olli ripped their way out of oblivion and ran to the forefront of his consciousness to take their rightful place in his memory bank.

Images of Olli danced before his eyes.

Olli supporting him in his boxing promising to keep their relationship a secret even bearing the disgusting comments made by Wolle.

He giggled when he remembered Olli's words to Gregor when his brother had walked in on them while Olli and he had been in bed.

"Okay, this may as a real surprise to you. But this is exactly what it looks like. Your brother n I are a couple."

Olli was such a Mr Smoother. He hated having misunderstandings and arguments. No wonder Olivia could so easily always take advantage of him.

Tears came to his when the feeling of helplessness that he had faced when he had seen Olli lying first bleeding and bruised on the polished floors of No Limits and then on the plush floors of Schneiders. The feeling of happiness and relief when Olli woke up again hit him all at once and made him sob harder.

People passing by threw curious at the sobbing occupant of the bench then went on their way and Christian was grateful for that.

As his memories restocked and then filed themselves away he realized that after two years of being with Olli everything had come to naught.

Olli and he had broken up.

He had left Olli. But now all he wanted was to be home in Olli's arms.

"I wonder if Olli misses me?"

"Most probably he doesn't" he concluded

"After the way I have been behaving with him he must be glad to be well rid of me."

"But I will have to see him again. I need my clothes and my other stuff."

"Olli why did you fall in love with Rob?"

"I know I can't compete with a man like Rob. I wish I had, had some warning."

Christian chuckled through his tears, "Olli, you always knew how to surprise me; no it is more like you always knew how to shock me outta my wits. First by kissing me and then by declaring that you loved me. So I should have expected to receive this shock as well. My heart is fine Olli. I wish you had been honest with me."

"I wish I hadn't remembered you."

"Why did I have to remember you NOW. Now that I've lost you." he thought dejectedly as he wiped his tears then got up from the bench and headed back towards the bus stop to catch a bus back home.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 25 - Samstag Abend zwei (Saturday evening two)**

Christian got off at Koenigsalle.

He knew there was a bus stop just two blocks from No Limits where he could have got off; but he needed time to think about what he was going to say to Olli when he saw him.

He needed to prepare a script and then explicitly stick to it.

But how do you tell someone you love that you don't love them anymore?

How could he let go of Olli without ripping his own heart out?

No, he had to be strong.

As he walked on his eyes scanned his surroundings and that's when he suddenly saw Olli.

Olli was wearing the blue and black plaid coat that Christian just couldn't stand.

He had thought of telling Olli that the coat looked like he was wearing upholstery but he hadn't wanted to hurt Olli's feelings. Maybe tonight he would tell Olli exactly what he thought of his clothes.

His first instinct was to just cross the street and confront Olli right there on the pavement but he quickly changed his mind. He needed to decide what exactly he would tell Olli. So Christian satisfied himself with just following Olli while he formed his break up speech inside his head.

He followed Olli but kept a safe distance from him.

As they walked Christian carefully memorized Olli's image as his love obliviously walked on ahead of him.

Olli's buzz cut hair shone in the light cast by the street lamps.

His coat, which Christian personally hated, reached just below his thighs.

Olli had turned up his collar, most probably to protect his neck from the cold chilly wind that had started to blow as evening slowly turned to night.

Olli's dark jeans hugged his shapely legs. Christian's eyes caressed Olli's whole form and he realized with heart crushing regret that Olli was the best thing that had happened to him.

Rob was definitely a lucky man.

Olli suddenly stopped in his tracks. He stared inside a shop window.

Christian slowly crept closer and saw that Olli had stopped in front of a jewelry store and was admiring the baubles on display.

As he watched, Olli stared down at his own hand and spread out his fingers.

Olli then closed his hand, making a fist and simultaneously closed his eyes as if in prayer.

Christian saw Olli's chest expand as he took in a deep breath.

It looked like Olli was drawing up courage to do something drastic.

As Christian fixedly watched him Olli opened his eyes, reaching for the door handle Olli pushed the door open and entered the jewelry store.

Christian stealthily peeped into the store and watched Olli try on rings.

So Olli was planning to pop the question. That too after only 3 months of acquaintance with Rob!

Rob had to be something really special otherwise Olli would have never planned to take such a huge step.

They'd been together for two years and Olli hadn't ever mentioned the 'M' word seriously. It had always been in mirth.

Christian's heart shattered once again.

Christian was even more astounded when he saw Olli pay for the rings with his credit card.

The Olli he knew believed in cash payments only, ever since the Rebecca fiasco.

When had **his** Olli changed so much?

No, he wasn't **his Olli** anymore; so it was obvious that there would be some changes.

After slipping his precious purchase into his coat pocket Olli turned to exit the shop and almost saw Christian.

He almost saw him but Christian quickly ducked into the neighboring shop.

Christian knew he was behaving like a voyeur and a stalker but he just couldn't stop himself from following Olli.

As he continued following Olli they walked across the bridge where he had told Olli that he planned to quit boxing.

As they continued walking Christian noticed that a part of the bridge had been cordoned off with reflective tape and on part of the bridge's the railing was missing .

That's exactly where he had been standing that bleak Monday morning after he had left his life and love behind.

But he also remembered that after he had reached the bridge all plans of committing suicide had evaporated from his brain. Instead he had been thinking of going back to No Limits.

He had been planning to fight for Olli and his plan had been almost complete when he had suddenly met someone.

Someone who had first tried to sway his resolve and when that hadn't worked that person had simply pushed him off the bridge so that he plunged to his death.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 26 - Samstag Abend drei (Saturday evening three) **

As the last lost memories of the morning he left Olli and landed up in the river came back to him in High definition and Dolby surround sound he realized that Olli had reached No Limits.

Christian merged back into the shadows.

He watched Olli open the door and slam it shut once he was inside.

He wanted to rush over and bang on the door.

He wanted to be back in Olli's arms.

He wanted Olli to tell him he had missed Christian.

He wanted ... he just wanted Olli to love him again.

But his wants no longer mattered to Olli.

Christian crossed the street.

He sat down on the curb and stared unblinking up at the windows of the flat share.

He saw the lights come on indicating that Olli had entered the flat.

He looked down at the dark windows of No Limits and remembered that No Limits was closed because some one in Olli's family had died.

Who the heck had died?

Olivia?

Or was it Lars?

Or was it...

God Forbid

Had **Charley** died?

He should have been there for Olli in his time of grief and despair.

But Olli didn't need him any longer.

He had another shoulder to lean on.

A shoulder which led to a hand that would soon be adorned by one of the rings that Olli had just bought.

Christian needed to get his things.

He could go back and stay with the Ehrlichs for the night and then tomorrow he would search for the an apartment near Königsbrunn.

He wandered the street aimlessly, gazed into shop windows to entertain himself.

But even after two hours he couldn't build up enough courage to face Olli.

His stomach growled.

He needed food pronto but he wasn't going to go begging to Olli.

He thought of the five euros Myrna had slipped into his pocket.

But he decided against using it.

He had taken enough advantage of the old couple already.

As he continued walking wondering how to deal with the hunger problem he was facing a name popped into his mind and his mood instantly brightened

DIETERS! That man would definitely feed him.

That man would do anything for him.

He entered the little alcove restaurant and headed straight for the cash counter.

"Hey!" he cheerfully greeted Dieter.

The man's face paled and his eyes bulged in shock when he saw Christian.

Dieter screamed, "CHRISTIAN!"

"Yes!" Christian answered wincing from the intensity of the shriek.

"Yo...You're Alive?" Dieter stammered.

"Of course I'm alive," Christian frowned

"But you committed suicide," Dieter informed him

"What gave you that idea?" Christian asked his frown getting deeper.

"You jumped off the bridge!"

"Of course I didn't" Christian countered in irritation.

"Oh God does Olli know you're alive?" Dieter asked in a concerned voice.

"I haven't been to the flat as yet." Christian answered him sheepishly

"Then you better get home quick Olli is at the end of his tether. Last I saw him he looked more dead than alive. And he even told us to leave him alone for tonight. You better get home quick before he does something stupid." Dieter adviced.

As he had been speaking Dieter had filled two large Styrofoam boxes with food.

He shoved the boxes into Christian's hand.

"For Olli and you. Now get going."

Christian rushed out of the restaurant.

He ran towards No Limits as fast as his feet could carry him.

As he struggled to get the door open he read the notice tacked to the door.

He couldn't believe his eyes. Olli had put his name as proprieter as well.

With his injured hand he somehow managed to unlock and open the door of No Limits. He was finally in.

He took the stairs two at a time and was soon facing the door of the flat share.

He took in a deep breath and slipped the key into the lock.

He turned it and heard the lock flip.

He slowly pushed the door open and found himself facing Olli's back which shook as Olli sobbed.

He heard a soft snap and watched as Olli placed the open ring box beside his empty plate.

Then came the slurred sobbed words:

"_I, Oliver Sable, take you Christian Mann, to be my husband.  
To share the good times and hard times side by side.  
I humbly give you my hand and my heart  
as a sanctuary of warmth and peace,  
and pledge my faith and love to you.  
Just as this circle is without end, my love for you is eternal.  
Just as it is made of incorruptible substance, my commitment to you will never fail._

_I take thee as mine in this life and every life henceforth. With this ring, I thee wed._"

As Christian stood listening to the words that passed Olli's lips his heart gave a twinge and he realized just how much he had misjudged Olli.

As he watched; Olli got up, walked blindly to couch and collapsed onto it.

A few pathetic whimpers passed the thoroughly drunk man's lips before he fell into an exhausted sleep.

Christian quietly crept into the flat and soundlessly shut the door.

Christian looked at the laden table.

His mouth watered.

Olli had cooked for him.

He put away the Styrofoam boxes into the fridge.

Coming back to the dining table he took a seat and dug into the feast that Olli had laid out.

As he ate with gusto he watched Olli sleep peacefully.

Olli's drunken snores seamlessly mingled with Christian's voracious chomping.

With his stomach filled to capacity Christian decided to take a shower and get back into his own clothes before waking up his boyfriend, ... actually the man who had married him without even bothering to propose, and giving him the shock of his life.

He admired the beautiful ring that lay snuggled in the big velvet box.

Out of curiosity he picked it up and slipped it onto his finger

It was a perfect fit!

When the hell had Olli measured his finger!

But then that was Olli.

Olli could be very sneaky.

Olli had casually sneaked into his life, then he had sneakily elicited his friendship before quietly sneaking straight into his heart and capturing it for life.

*What a Sneak!* Christian thought and giggled.

The sudden sound drew a groan from Olli.

Christian bent over the back of the couch and tenderly caressed Olli's hair to sooth him.

He kissed Olli on the forehead before he straightened again and turned around to head towards the bedroom to get a change of clothes.

As he placed the clothes on the shelf inside the bathrrom he noticed that he was still wearing the ring. He quickly scurried back out to the dining room.

He took off his ring and placed it back inside the box.

*_East or West home is definitely the best_* Christian sighed in contentment as he stood under the warm refreshing shower.

It was good to be back home again.

Lazily he wiped himself and pulled on a pair of ratty but comfortable track pants.

As he picked up his T-shirt he heard Olli's blood curdling scream.

"He must be having a night mare," Christian thought and headed out of the bathroom.

He peeped out the door just as Olli landed a punch on a ginger haired man sending him sprawling to the floor.

Christian quickly ducked back into the bathroom.

He could hear Olli yell, "Get Out!" right before the front door was slammed shut making the whole flat quiver.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 27 - Safe Into The Night With You**

Christian pulled on his t shirt then picked up his tooth brush.

He hoped by the time he finished brushing his teeth Olli would hopefully be asleep again.

But it had been a sight to see Rob lying on the floor like that.

Maybe he should encourage Olli to pick up boxing he definitely had a talent for it.

Olli slowly flexed his fingers and threw the keys he had wrenched out of Rob's hand onto the table.

That bastard had at sometime flicked Olli's set of keys and duplicated them.

He would have to change the locks.

Frustrated and heart sick he sat down at the dining table

He noticed the half full bottle of vodka still standing on the table.

Picking it up he chugged down it's contents as if it was ambrosia send down by the Gods.

Sadly it was soon all gone.

Olli held it upside down and shook the last precious drops into the palm of his hand and licked his hand clean.

His head spun and his eyes drooped.

But he still felt cold and empty inside.

He sat slumped on the chair and stared fixedly at the grainy varnished surface of the dining table wondering how his life had come to such an end.

It had been his own fault.

He had himself encouraged Rob, hadn't he?

Rob's persistence at trying to win Olli's love like a crushing teenager had made Olli feel special.

With Christian's new job and his busy study schedule his boyfriend had been unable to give Olli the kind of single minded overwhelming attention he used to give when they had just started dating.

Olli realized he had been feeling a little neglected as after two years Christian and his relation had reached a plateau.

Thankfully they hadn't gone backwards and broken up, but neither had their relationship moved forwards.

They had remained boyfriends.

Somewhere along the way, Olli confessed to himself, his younger self had re-emerged as well.

The younger self that had liked to party all night long and indulge in all kinds of frivolous activities.

But of late he had realized he was no longer in his early twenties neither was he single.

Well he hadn't been single until Monday morning when his world had come crashing down around his ears.

Everything was over!

Everything was over!

*EVERYTHING WAS OVER!*

He slammed his head on the table lifted it and slammed it again for good measure.

Tears of grief filmed his eyes as he kept banging his head on the table.

He could only hope that the physical pain would somehow drown out the pain he felt in his broken heart.

As Christian finished brushing his teeth and washed the foam off his face and out of his mouth a rhythmic banging sound started.

Curious he came out of the bathroom.

What he saw made him wince in pain and grief.

Olli was sitting at the dining table and furiously banging his head on the table.

Running over Christian placed his hand at the exact spot where Olli's head met the table; so that the next slam landed on the back of Christian's hand.

Olli lifted his head and looked down at the hand in confusion then he looked up at Christian and gave a loud hiccup,

"Oh Great! Now I've lost my mind as well," Olli said and giggled in drunken ecstasy.

"Hello! Hallucination Christian!" Olli greeted Christian.

Olli waved his hand in front of Christian's face and laughed even louder, then suddenly grabbed Christian by the back of his neck.

Christian started to speak but his words were drowned out by Olli's lips.

Olli kissed him with furious abandon with his vodka drenched mouth, which made Christian gag

The blond instantly pulled back.

"Whoa! ...Babe hold on. I can taste the vodka on you."

"What does it matter," Olli giggled again, "You're a ghost. Ghosts don't have taste buds."

"Now shut up and kiss me." Olli slurred his command as he reached for Christian again.

"Why don't we go to bed?" Christian gently coaxed.

"Once we are in bed you can kiss me as much as you want. Okay!" Christian suggested tenderly.

"Okay!" Olli agreed giving Christian a mischievous smirk and tweaked the blonde's nose.

Christian put his arm around Olli's waist and helped him onto his feet.

Olli picked up the jewelry box and held it under Christian's nose, "Look I even bought a ring for you! You'll marry me won't you?" he asked as solemnly as he could in his extreme drunken state.

"Yes, of course I'll marry you Olli," Christian seriously replied to his drunken charge.

Olli burst into tears, "Why didn't I ask you when you were alive?" Olli said as he collapsed sobbing against Christian's shoulder and flung away the box.

Christian had to half carry a sobbing Olli through the hall to the bedroom and help him get into bed.

He tucked Olli in and then climbed into bed as well.

As he lay down he smelt the overwhelming stink and realized that the sheets reeked of God alone knew what.

Christian gently and carefully pulled out the sheet from under Olli and flung it to one corner of the room. He yanked off the covers of the pillows as well and they joined the dirty sheet.

He maneuvered Olli around in the bed as he covered the bed with a fresh sheet and put fresh pillow covers on the pillows.

As he worked Olli kept on snoring like a freight train which assured Christian that there wasn't any chance that Olli would wake up again during the night.

Once the bed was made Christian remembered the food still spread out on the dining table.

Christian cleared the dining table.

Then hunted for the ring box that Olli had flung away. He found it lying next to the fridge. Picking it up he admired the ring once more before he closed the box again and put it in his pocket.

He turned the dead bolts on the front door and for extra measure hooked the security chain as well.

Finally, switching off all the lights in the other rooms of the flat Christian headed back to the bedroom.

He tucked the ring box under Olli's clothes in the closet then headed to bed.

Christian lay down beside Olli, who instinctually cuddled into him.

Olli flung his arm across Christian's waist and tightened it around him.

"Why did you leave me Christian? Why?" Olli sobbed, emitted a gurgling hiccup before he started softly snoring again.

Christian kissed Olli's reddened and swollen forehead, causing Olli to fidget then whimper in pain.

"What have I done to you?" Christian guiltily addressed his fast asleep love as he looked at the angry bruises forming on Olli's forehead.

He tucked Olli into his side and soon fell asleep.

000000000000000

**Chapter End Notes:**

_Hope you can bear the slow speed._

_I'm really sorry but you'll just have to be patient._

_Please read and please leave a review, I'm just so addicted to all your adoring comments and high praises that I just can't do without them anymore._

_BTW I put a little bit of me in Olli so if he seems a bit outta charater it's coz he's mimicking me._


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 28 - Sonntag - The Dawn Of A Sunny Sunday**

A creature of habit Christian's eyes opened at the dot of 6 the next morning.

As he lay snuggled in the warmth of the blanket, cuddled up close to Olli the conversation he had with Myrna the previous morning came back to him.

...

_C: "But there is still a two year blank in my head." _

_M: "You have got back 8 years in a matter of 4 days maybe by this time tomorrow morning you'll have the last two back in there as well" _

_C: "I hope you're right." _

_M: "I always am. You can ask Sascha my words are never proved wrong. I have a gut feeling that tomorrow at this time you'll be home all snuggly and comfortable in your own bed."_

_C: "Snuggly!" Christian repeated giving an incredulous laugh._

_M: "Yup! All snuggly - wuggly cuddled up with your favourite teddy bear under your soft blankie." _

_C: "Myrna I'm 23... No ...25 and not a toddler so it's a bit impossible that as a grown man I'd sleep cuddled up with a teddy bear under my 'blankie'._

_M: "It's quiet possible. You don't remember the past two years do you." _

_C: "Please I'm definitely not a cuddler." _

Myrna's words had come true.

Just as she had predicted he had woken up at home.

He was lying under his own 'blankie' cuddled with his 'teddy bear'.

He looked into Olli's peaceful sleeping face.

Okay, so his boyfriend wasn't a teddy bear but they were cuddled up to each other and he felt elated.

He feathered a light kiss on Olli's brow.

It was good to be home.

Olli shifted a little in his sleep nuzzling his face in Christian's shoulder and his arm tightened around the blonde's waist as if he would never let go of Christian ever again.

Christian lay looking into the beloved face wondering what Olli must have gone thru the past 6 days when he thought that Christian was dead.

There was now a livid bruise on Olli's forehead caused by the violent punishment he had witnessed Olli inflict on himself in his drunken stupor.

His calm and cool Olli behaving in such a manner had broken his heart.

Till last night he had never really known the madness that can take over a person who had lost the one he loved.

Till that moment Christian had never truly realized just how much he meant to Olli.

He had never known that Olli loved him to the extent of such insanity that it had caused him to inflict injury on himself just so he could manage the pain in his heart.

It was an overwhelming experience for Christian.

Questions about love and permanence that had haunted him all week finally had been answered in just that one tiny moment when he had seen a devastated Olli mourning him.

He had found his one true love; he had found that someone who was his for life eternal.

He traced a tender finger along Olli's eyebrow down his aquiline nose and then outlined the cherry blossom lips.

Olli was His and only His. There were no two ways about it.

He glanced at the dirty sheets and the pillow covers lying in the corner of the room.

Olli was a stickler for cleanliness.

He remembered the look of disgust on Olli's face when he had visited the flat share to check out the empty room he wanted to rent and had seen the mess Coco and Christian lived in.

Olli had scrubbed down each and every surface of the flat share starting from the floor up until the whole flat was as sterile as a hospital before he had even attempted to move in his things.

Olli and cleanliness were inseparable or that's what he had thought until he had smelt the stinking sheets last night.

Olli deserved a massive apology from Christian for that stupid, stupid letter he had dared to write to Olli.

And the apology would have to start right now beginning with breakfast for Olli.

As he planned the breakfast menu he tried to slowly slip out from under Olli but his boyfriend's pathetic whimper stilled him.

He waited a few minutes then tried again.

This time Olli let go of him and turned over to the other side.

In his dream Christian was alive and well.

They had kissed.

Christian had accepted his marriage proposal.

Christian had helped him to bed.

Christian had even changed the sheets so that after almost a week he was lying on fresh sheets again.

But it had all been a dream, a beautiful dream.

When he opened his eyes he'd be lying in bed all alone and Christian would still be gone.

But what if it wasn't just...?

What if Christian had really...?

Olli opened his eyes and the bright sunlight blinded him...and the massive hangover made his head throb like there was a ticking bomb inside ready to blow his noggin to smithereens.

His arms were stretched out as he laid spread eagle diagonally across the bed and ... he was the lone occupant just as he had been the previous five nights.

The kiss had all been a figment of his imagination brought on by days of yearning and the large amount of alcohol coursing through his system.

Christian was still gone.

He turned over onto his stomach and buried his face in Christian's pillow.

He took a deep breath and realized that something felt different.

The pillow smelt fresh and there was a strong fragrance of Christian coming from it, as if Christian's blonde head had lain on it all night.

Olli smelt the sheets there was a mingled fragrance of both Christian's and his cologne coming from it.

ANDI!

Andi was the only answer.

Andi must have changed the sheets and sprayed a little of Christian's cologne on it to help Olli sleep better.

Olli startled when a sudden realization hit him - Andi was a BLONDE just like Christian!

"Oh God! Shit! He must have been the one who helped me to bed last night. Oh Shit! I must have kissed HIM!. Could I have done anything worse? I kissed my straight best friend. Olli you're such a sick creep!"

He wrapped himself in the blanket and burying his face in Christian's pillow decided to go back to sleep

It was Sunday morning there were still another 24 hours to go before he would have to perforce drag himself outta bed and open up No Limits once again.

He heard a creak as the bedroom door slowly opened and heard the soft padding footsteps as someone entered and approached the bed.

"Go Away Andi! I don't want you here. But thanks and sorry for last night."

"I'm not Andi," a beloved voice softly replied and Olli felt the bed dip towards the left as someone sat down beside him.

He felt tender fingers run thru his hair, the gentle touch so very familiar.

Olli was petrified but building up courage he slowly peeked out from under the blanket.

He gulped in fear as his eyes bulged and his mind numbed in shock.

He quickly scrambled away from the tender touch and the angelically smiling face.

His drunken hallucinations had followed him into sobriety

He backed away from the endearing image as quickly as he could and fell off the bed with a resounding thud, still wrapped in the blanket. He peeked over the edge of the bed like a terrified rabbit peeking out of it's burrow.

The apparition hadn't disappeared.

As Olli sat on the floor staring at the image...ghost...hallucination he began to have doubts about his sanity.

**This** was irrefutable proof that he had finally snapped.

He hadn't just snapped he had sunken into complete insanity.

Otherwise, why would he be able to feel the touch of a person who was very much dead.

Christian approached Olli cautiously.

He had expected a more vocal welcome from his boyfriend.

He had expected a shout of joy or a scream of fright from Olli.

But instead he was the one who was now frightened by Olli's utter silence.

Christian broke the silence with a quiet, "Hallo."

Something flickered in Olli's eyes, "H...Hallo," came the stuttered reply.

"How are you Olli?" Christian enquired softly just so he could hear Olli's voice once more.

Olli gulped and answered back his voice quivering in fear, "Physically I think I'm fine but mentally... I'm... not... so sure."

"I always knew you were bonkers," Christian declared jovially giving Olli his trademark deep dimpled naughty boy grin.

Disentangling himself from the blanket Olli slowly got up from the floor, his eyes unblinkingly fixed on Christian's smiling face.

If he was sinking into madness and that was to be his final fate he might as well enjoy it.

"Would you like something to eat?" he softly asked Christian.

"Do you still have to ask me that question after two years of being together?" Christian enquired with an mock annoyed frown.

"I don't know" Olli answered meekly.

He was having a conversation with a hallucination, a figment of his broken hearted imagination.

"Olli what's wrong?" Christian gently questioned as he got off the bed and approached Olli.

He extended his hand towards Olli to caress his face.

Olli watched Christian's approach and fear engulfed him.

He instantly cowered away from the extended hand and fell back onto Christian's study table.

"I see your opinion about me hasn't changed a bit since last night." Christian concluded shaking his head.

"Opinion? ...you? ... last night?" Olli stammered in utter confusion.

"Yes, Last night. When I came home. When I returned back to the flat last night you were drunk as a skunk. And For the first time kissing you wasn't a pleasant experience. Then you added insult to injury by calling me a 'ghost with no taste buds'. I helped you to bed only to find that it stank. Believe me changing the sheets with one good hand wasn't at all easy. You Lazy Oaf!"

Oliver gaped at Christian as the blonde finished rehashing the events that had occurred the previous night.

As Christian's words sank in and Olli's hung-over brain slowly digested them his temperature rose.

He bodily flung himself onto Christian in burning fury.

They fell back onto the bed with a soft thump.

Olli grabbed Christian by the throat and violently shook his boyfriend.

Slamming Christian's head repeatedly against the feathery soft mattress Olli screamed at him,

**"WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU? YOU DAMN ASSHOLE! YOU BLOODY UNFEELING PIECE'A SHIT! WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU ALL WEEK? DO YOU ANY IDEA WHAT YOU PUT ME THRU?"**

Christian didn't protest, he let Olli rage at him.

Infact he was enjoying this 'Olli Gone Wild' situation.

Christian giggled in delight. It was **really** good to be back home.

The giggle caused Olli's anger to evaporate instantaneously and he hugged Christian with all his might.

He showered excited kisses all over Christian's face, neck and any other piece of exposed skin he could access

"Ow! Ow! **OW!**" Christian yelped in pain and hissed, "Careful!"

Olli instantly let go of him and sat up.

That's when he noticed his boyfriend's bandaged arm.

Christian sat up as well gingerly cradling his injured left arm and grimaced in pain.

Olli ran delicate fingers over the bandage and then slowly lifted Christian's hand to his lips

Olli laid tender butterfly light kisses on Christian's knuckles before lifting it higher and rubbing the knuckles against his own cheek.

Christian watched Olli's ministrations and tender actions his heart squeezing in his chest.

Olli gazed into the curious azure eyes.

Finally letting go of Christian's hand he tenderly caressed Christian's cheek with his finger tips.

"Are you really alive? Are you really here?" he breathed out the words in disbelief as tears of relief choked him.

"Well if the throbbing in my arm is anything to go by. Then Yup! I'm definitely very much alive and kicking." Christian stated matter of factly.

Olli carefully hugged him again.

Burying his face in Christian's throat he took in a deep breath, "You bloody stupid, idiotic, moronic, imbecile! Do you have any idea what you did to me by pulling this crazy stunt?"

Taking in a calming breath he sat up straight again but his arms stayed around Christian.

"Where the hell were you?" Olli demanded softly.

"First in the river, then on a muddy bank from where I was picked up by an elderly couple, next a hospital and finally at the home of the kind couple who had rescued me." Christian listed chronologically.

"So you really had jumped?" Olli sadly muttered and started to move away but Christian didn't let go of him.

"That had been my initial plan when I'd left here on Monday morning. But once I reached the bridge I kinda chickened out" Christian mumbled his answer shamefacedly and averted his eyes.

"But you just said you were in the river and I know you had been in the river coz the emergency service people pulled out your tattered jacket from the river." Olli exclaimed in bewilderment.

Cupping Olli's face so that they were looking into each other's eyes Christian enunciated his answer slowly.

"Olli I Didn't Jump In! I Was Pushed In!"

"What! Who was it?" Olli instantly questioned.

Christian looked away then looked back at Olli gave him a soft smile

"Olli can this wait till later. I've missed you and I think you mentioned something about food. So can you please be feeding me now?"

"Okay, But we'll talk while we eat." Olli instructed and leaned in to kiss him.

Christian placed his fingers on Olli's lips. He backed away from the raven haired hunk and told him, "Oh No No! Ugh! You still reek of the vodka my love. Shower and brush first then you can kiss me as much as you want to."

Olli immediately hopped out of bed and headed out the bedroom with a happy spring in his stride.

But then he suddenly and abruptly halted in his tracks.

Turning around he looked at Christian and pinched himself on the arm.

He felt relieved when Christian didn't suddenly dematerialize and disappear.

00000000000000

**Chapter End Notes:**

_I know it sucks._

_I'm sorry._

_Please leave a critical review._

_Thanks for sticking around till now I promise it'll end soon enough._


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Chapter Notes:

_When the tide comes in will you swim by my side_

_When the world will end will come along for the ride._

_You are the food for my soul_

_The one who makes me whole_

**CHAPTER 29 - Bath and Breakfast**

Olli hurried into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

While the water adjusted to the right temperature he quickly picked up his brush.

Spreading toothpaste on the bristles he put it in his mouth.

After returning the paste tube to it's rightful place inside the cabinet he started brushing; that's when his glance fell on the mirror and on his own reflection.

He looked downright ill.

His untrimmed beard and the livid bruise coloring his forehead made him look like a homeless person who had been in a drunken brawl the previous night.

Well come to think of it he had been in a drunken brawl the previous night.

Though it had been with his own self it still had been a violent fight that he had lost eventually.

Olli felt ashamed at his appearance.

Even after two years he still hated it if Christian ever saw him looking anything less than perfect.

What a pathetic picture he must have made when Christian came home last night.

He gingerly touched his forehead and flinched in pain.

He heard the clatter of dishes in the kitchen which reminded him that Christian was home safe and sound.

The rest just didn't matter anymore.

He rinsed his mouth then checked the shower water.

Finding that it had reached the correct temperature he climbed into the tub.

As he scrubbed his face with his hands something scratched his face.

That's when he realized he was still wearing the ring.

He hoped that Christian hadn't noticed.

Then he remembered something else.

He had proposed to Christian in his drunken stupor and shockingly Christian had given him a positive answer.

So maybe Christian wasn't averse to the idea of marriage

Christian listened to Olli's happy humming emitting from the bathroom as he set the table for breakfast.

He smiled and for the millionth time thought to himself yet again *_It's good to be back home_*

As he took out the cutlery from the drawer Olli came out of the bathroom wrapped in Christian's red towel and headed towards the hall door.

Christian remembered the night after he had aced his dressage presentation.

He greeted Olli with the words Olli had said to him that night.

"Hey Sexy!"

Olli turned back around to face him and smiled shyly.

"Breakfast is ready, get dressed quickly and come to the table before I eat up everything" Christian commanded with a mischievous wide grin.

Olli hurried away.

As Olli went through his clothes something fell out of the clothes and landed at his feet. It was the ring box.

So Christian had found it and put it in his closet.

He opened the box to put back his own ring and saw that the other ring had been moved from the upper slot to the lower one.

So Christian had not only seen it but taken it out and examined it as well.

He hoped Christian had liked what he had bought for the both of them and would proudly wear the ring he had bought.

But Olli was in no hurry.

He would wait.

He needed to wait before he sprung the question on Christian again.

The next time he would be stone sober when he asked his Mann that life changing question.

Olli sat watching as Christian ate most of the items he himself had prepared.

Christian suddenly looked up at him and said with his mouth full, "Aft you goies to eas ansythink"

"What?" Olli asked puzzled unable to make head or tail of the words that had passed Christian's lips.

Christian quickly swallowed and repeated his question this time clearly, "Aren't you going to eat anything?"

"I've eaten more than enough." Olli told him.

Christian shrugged.

After breakfast as Olli washed the dishes. Christian came around the kitchen island and hugged him from behind.

Burying his face in the side of Olli's throat he took in a long breath, filling his lungs with Olli's distinct perfume and softly murmured, "I missed you so much all week."

Olli flipped on the faucet and quickly washed the soap off his hands.

Turning around in the circle of Christian's arms he gently cupped Christian's face in his palms and replied, "I missed you too desperately."

Christian suddenly chuckled sadly, "I missed you ... even though I had no idea who the hell you were ... I just didn't remember you."

"What?" Olli exclaimed in shock. "You didn't remember me?"

"Yah that dunk in the river kinda froze my memory. I woke up thinking that I was 17 yrs old and still a senior in high school."

Olli stood gaping at his boyfriend. With a gentle finger placed under Olli's chin Christian closed his shocked boyfriend's mouth.

"Then how ...? ...you're home...? who...?what...?" Olli stuttered unintelligibly.

"Come on I'll tell you about my weird adventures of the last six days and then you can tell me yours." Christian said as he guided Olli to the blue sofa and they sat down.

Olli instantly leaned against Christian and laid his head on his boyfriend's chest.

He looked up into the blue eyes and commanded, "Okay talk!"

"Well you know the part about the letter. Then I left No Limits adamant on ending my life." Olli shifted and hugged Christian tighter.

"I was standing on the side of the bridge leaning against the railing thinking about Rob and you. Generally feeling sorry for myself. I looked down at the water and I saw it rushing by at such a great force that slowly and steadily all thoughts of jumping into that cold water evaporated. Then I thought maybe I should go to Waldenstyck to Gregor and was just about to make my way back here to pack when I saw this couple having this huge fight right in the middle in the road. Then suddenly a car came barreling towards them the guy pulled the girl outta its way. Next thing I see they were kissing and I realized that leaving like a thief is no solution for our problem. What I had to do was to talk to you. I had all the arguments ready in my head when I suddenly met ..."

After each had recounted the experiences of the past five days that they had spent apart they finally took a breather.

"Wow!" Olli exclaimed, "That red jacket reminded you of me and brought you back home?" he asked in disbelieving astonishment.

Christian laid a tender kiss on Olli's temple, "that red jacket was what you were wearing the night we first..." Christian sighed, "I was so stupid then. Wasn't I?"

"Thank God for your jealous streak if that guy hadn't grabbed my ass that night at The Noon there would never have been a you n me." Olli said chuckling as he cuddled closer to Christian.

"If it hadn't been for my jealous streak I would have never really realized just how much you love me." Christian mumbled in a tight voice and then buried his face in the curve of Olli's throat.

Olli felt the tears as they were soaked up by his t shirt.

"Hey!"

He cupped Christian's chin with his hand and tilted up the blonde's face, "what's wrong?" he asked his love.

"Last night was the best and the worst night of my life. It was the best because I came to know just how much you love me. And it was also the worst as because of my cowardice at not handling our situation like an adult now you are sporting a horrible bruise. I'm sorry."

Olli looked at the teary face and smiled.

"I love you," Olli said simply and placed a gentle kiss on Christian's lips.

"Me too." Christian replied and pulled Olli into a tight embrace.

They lay lounging together on the couch blissfully kissing when Christian slowly pulled away, "So everyone was here?" he asked nuzzling Olli's cheek.

"Yah! Everyone was here. I guess they were scared that I would do something drastic if they didn't keep an eye on me." Olli informed Christian.

"Does that mean everyone thinks I'm really dead?" Christian asked.  
"Yes they're pretty convinced that you're gone for good."

"Even Gregor?" the blonde asked in disbelief.

"Sadly he too thinks so. Luise on the other hand was the only one who got me thru all of this; she steadfastly believed that you'd come back to me. She's such a die hard optimist." Olli softly said

"I know," Christian agreed, "She is a complete optimist who refuses to give up at any cost. Remember how she was when Gregor was in a coma? If she hadn't been so adamant on her belief that he'll wake up then maybe Gregor would never have recovered." Christian said in agreement

"She kept telling me '_until his body is found Christian cannot be declared deceased_' Those words gave me some kind of solace and made me hope that just maybe by some miracle you'll come back to me," Olli told Christian as he gently brushed away a few stray blonde locks away from his forehead, "and you did."

Christian placed soft kisses along Olli's temple, cheek, jawline and traced a path with his lips down Olli's throat.

But his ministrations were obstructed by Olli's t shirt.

"Get this thing off," Christian mumbled.

Olli instantly obliged then returned the favor by carefully freeing Christian's torso of his bothersome shirt as well.

"God you're stunning," Olli murmured as he caressed his hands down Christian's chest until they came to rest at the blonde's waist.

Christian shyly giggled right before capturing Olli's lips in a tender hungry kiss...

Christian limply lay across Olli's chest as their bodies cooled and their thundering hearts lowered their tempo.

"WOW!" the blonde exclaimed raising his head slightly and kissed Olli on the side of his neck.

"I think we have successfully worked off all those breakfast calories." Christian observed with a poker face.

"Yup! I agree." Olli answered with a straight face right before they dissolved into uproarious laughter.

"So what do you say to continuing our rendezvous in the bedroom," Christian said with a suggestive smirk.

"Great idea!" Olli answered, "You ARE always full of Great Ideas!"

The couple got up, quickly collected their clothes and bolted to their room.

**Chapter End Notes:**

_Please read and leave a teeny tiny review._


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Chapter Notes:**

_A little laugh _

_and _

_A little plotting_

**CHAPTER 30 - Shocking Surprise.**

Andi tried Olli's cell phone number for the 18th time.

But got the same exact response "_Hallo you've reached Olli Sabel. I'm either busy working or busy kissing my boyfriend so I can't attend to you right now. So just leave your name and number after the beep and I'll get back to you once Christian lets me breathe again. Tschuss_!"

"Scheiss!" Andi growled and almost flung his cell phone, but thankfully was able to control himself at the last moment.

Andi's already over active imagination now went into overdrive

All kinds of scenarios popped into his head.

*_Maybe Olli has slashed his wrists_* he thought in a panic.

He had done it once before when Tom had left him.

Thankfully he had reached Olli in the nick time just as his friend had started to lose consciousness from blood loss.

He ran out of the castle to the parking lot.

Jumping onto his bike he started it up with a violent kick.

_*Oh God! I should never have left you alone!*_

_*Please be alright*_ Andi kept praying as his bike zoomed through the streets of Düsseldorf leading him towards No Limits.

Andi hurried up the stairs of the building.

Jabbing his key into the lock he twisted it and flung open the front door.

The flat share was silent as a cemetery.

He ran into the bathroom and whipped away the shower curtains to expose the tub.

Olli's prone body wasn't in it.

He hurried back out.

That's when his eyes fell on the stack of unwashed dishes and containers of unfinished food.

That meant Olli was hopefully fine and most probably asleep again.

But just to be on the safe side he decided to check up on his devastated best friend.

Christian crawled down Olli's body and got under the blanket, his hand caressing down Olli's chest, his lips leaving open mouth kisses along the crease of Olli's hip until they reached his target.

Olli moaned and grabbed the sheets.

Andi heard the moan as he reached the bedroom door.

Olli seemed to be in pain.

Twisting the door handle Andi flung open the door and loudly enquired , "Olli are you alright?" as he hit the light switch beside the door bathing the room with brightness.

Olli blinked at Andi and the biker blinked back as he took in Olli's nude chest and the large bump under the blanket.

**"BLOODY HELL OLLI! CHRISTIAN HAS BEEN GONE FOR NOT EVEN A WEEK AND YOU'VE ALREADY FOUND A NEW TWINK TO BOINK."**

"WASN'T HE SUPPOSED TO BE THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE? YOU DISGUST ME!" the blonde biker yelled insults at Olli in seething fury as he neared the foot of the bed.

Andi hit the bump under the blanket and commanded with venom in his tone "Who ever the fuck you are come out from under there right this second."

Christian lifted the blanket the slightest bit so he could look up into Olli's face and whispered "Should I?"

Olli whispered back, "Go right ahead. Give him the shock of his life,"

"What? Shock of my liEEEEEEEEEE..." Andi shrieked as the blanket flew away and he saw who had been under it.

Throwing off the blanket Christian jumped out of bed and stood before Andi in all his naked glory.

"Hallo! Mein lieber freund. How have YOU been?"

Andi's mouth fell open and his eyes bugged out.

"Christian, y..yo..you...is it really you?"

"In the flesh," Christian confirmed with a dazzling grin.

Andi suddenly realized that both his friends were stark naked so he whipped around so he was facing away from them and mumbled in mortification , "Both of you. Do you mind ...umm ...like...umm covering up."

He could make out his friends moving around behind him, hopefully putting on their clothes.

"Are you both decent now?" Andi asked awkwardly.

"Yes we are!" the pair chorused.

"You really are alive?" Andi exclaimed again as he turned to face the lovers who sat cuddled up on the bed.

"Nope I'm a zombie!" Christian answered with a straight face.

"Olli performed voodoo and raised me from the dead."

"Ha ha ha." Andi answered and made a face.

"Olli What happened to your face?" he questioned Olli when he suddenly realized the brunette was sporting an angry bruise.

"The dining table and I had a slight disagreement." Olli mumbled in embarrassment.

He pinned Christian with his grey gaze.

"So, if you're not dead, then where were you all week?" he enquired

The couple looked at each other and smiled.

Then Christian answered, "Okay, make yourself comfortable and I'll narrate to you my epic adventures"

Andi took a seat at the little foldable chair kept near the study table as Christian started his narration

"I didn't even know you two were even friends." Andi exclaimed in astonishment.

"Oh right! Yah! That's exactly how a friend behaves. Only a true friend pushes you off a bridge into the freezing river below." Olli said snidely

"You know what I mean, Olli." Andi said realizing his faux pas.

"It's obvious we'd form some kind of friendship after all we work at the exact same place," the horse trainer instantly said diffusing the heated situation.

"And you did spend most of that time hanging around in the kitchen so your paths were bound to cross time and again." Olli concluded.

Andi slapped his forehead and exclaimed in shock "Oh My God! This explains **everything**. I thought what I saw at the castle was nonsense or my misinterpretation of innocent actions. I thought it was just my overactive imagination. But now it all makes sense. Those secret looks, those hidden smiles that passed between them. It all makes perfect logical sense now. "

"We have to tell everyone you're alive and well Christian." Olli chimed.

"Of course we will. But not yet. Olli I want to shock everyone by suddenly appearing out of nowhere. I wanna personally witness just how much everyone loves me and misses me."

"You've lost me Christian. What are you saying?" Olli asked in puzzlement.

"Me too. You've got me confused as well." Andi said agreeing with Olli.

"Very simple guys I want you to hold a wake for me." Christian elaborated.

"Are you serious?" Olli questioned unable to contain his astonishment at Christian's brain wave.

"As serious as a heart attack," the blonde said seriously

"Can we please not talk about heart attacks," Olli groused in annoyance.

"Okay, ... I'm as serious as a ...stomach upset after bad shell fish dinner,"

"Yuck!" Olli exclaimed cringing and Andi made a gagging sound.

"Well loose motions is a serious ailment Olli. We've all suffered it one time or another." Christian went on to explain.

"ENOUGH!" Olli shrieked covering his ears, "can we please not have a discourse on gastric ailments."  
"But why Christian?" Andi chimed.

"Why loose motion?" Christian asked with a frown.

"NO, not why ...yuck!... But why do you want us to hold a wake for you?"

"Plain and simple everyone'll be there and then they'll say nice things about me and I'm sure that my 'friend' won't be able to resist adding in their 2 cents and then ..."

"... the big reveal you're alive and well. Everyone is happy ..." Olli continued

"...except for one particular person who'll be going to prison for attempted murder." Andi finished.

**Chapter End Notes:**

_Please read and review._

_Well the thing is I am still not sure who should the person who pushed Christian into the river. So I'm open to suggestions _

_Please help this writer._


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 31 - Name's Bond, Miriam Bond.**

"I think Olli has finally snapped," Anna whispered to Miriam who nodded in agreement as she watched Olli give a self satisfied smile after finalizing the caterer for Christian's wake.

"I know! He's behaving as if he's making preparation for Christian's birthday celebrations instead of his wake..." Miriam observed then after a pause continued"...or it could be just an act so that we think that he's handling his grief well."

Andi briskly walked into the bar. Spotting his friend at the opposite end of the establishment he made a beeline for Olli and sat down beside him.

The pair was soon deeply engrossed in a hushed conversation.

Miriam watched them intently between preparing and handing out orders to the other servers.

As she carried an order to a table she purposely walked by the couch the friends were sitting on.

What she heard confused the hell outta her.

"I hope he likes the preparations," Andi said

"Hopefully he will. But the menu will definitely be up to his liking." Olli said with a satisfied smile

"How come?" Andi enquired with a slight frown.

"He's the one who chose all the various listed items." Olli informed his friend

The pair softly laughed.

Miriam caught this snippet of conversation. She firstly got thoroughly confused then curiosity took over

_*A menu chosen by a certain 'him'. Who are they talking about?*_

She didn't know of anyone other than Christian who would care what was on the menu and he was ...dead. Then it struck her. _*Has Olli already found a replacement for Christian? If he has then he'll have my wrath to bear.*_ She seethed as she remembered how easily Olli had omitted mentioning the kiss, that had occurred between him and Ropp, to Christian.

All day she kept a close eye on Olli and thrice she noticed him receive calls that lasted for over 45 minutes and though she couldn't hear what was being said Olli ecstatically happy face told her that he was talking to someone 'extra special'

_*That Bloody Bastard! As he prepares for the wake of one boyfriend he's already enjoying the company of his next one. Whatever happened to 'a suitable period of mourning' before you got back into circulation*_

She stayed late and helped Olli with the clean-up.

"Don't you want to go home?" Olli asked with a mischievous smile.

"Well... I ... I ..." Miriam stammered unable to come up with a suitable excuse.

"Miriam I'm not going to hurt myself and Andi is upstairs to keep an eye on me. SO please stop worrying." Olli told her.

"Okay," Miriam shrugged , "I just care for you that's all." She finally said.

"I know you do. I'm glad that I have people to lean on at this time." Olli softly said as tears filmed his eyes.

As she put on her jacket a thought came to her and she asked her boss, "Olli do you think you'll ever find anyone again."

Olli looked at her for such a long time with an unreadable expression on his face, that she quickly recanted, "Forget it. It was a highly inappropriate question."

"No, it is a good question. And the answer is No I don't think I'll ever find anyone like Christian ever again. Miriam life is full of singularities. You live only once. You die too only once. You find your Greatest Love only once. So maybe I might meet someone 'nice' in ten or twelve years time but Christian is my greatest love. He's the man who'll have my heart till the day I breathe my last breath."

Miriam's bullshit detector told her that what Olli had just said had been absolutely honest. So it was possible that her suspicions were all baseless.

But the nagging doubt didn't leave her. After exiting No Limits she crossed the street and stood at the bus stop staring intently at the flat share window. She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw the lights switch on and within 30 seconds switch off again.

He had gone to bed.

She happily waited for her bus to arrive, she had been proved wrong and for once she didn't mind being wrong.

As she spied her bus approaching she suddenly noticed a quite figure exiting No Limits with a bottle of champagne in hand. The distinctive buzz cut hair instantly told her who it was.

What a liar!

Ten or Twelve YEARS he'd said.

Olli should get an Oscar for that stellar performance.

She quietly followed him.

He hired a taxi. Miriam did the same instructing the driver to follow the one Olli had gotten into.

"Cheating boyfriend, huh?" the driver asked sympathetically as he started his engine.

"Yes," Miriam hissed.

Olli's taxi halted outside a quite building of flats at the fringe of suburban Düsseldorf.

Olli got out and quickly paying the driver sent his taxi on it's way.

Miriam quietly sat watching her boss, her driver as well watched Olli as the bar owner jogged towards the entrance of the building.

AS they watched a man came out of the building and sprinted towards Olli.

The met halfway and desperately kissed each other.

Miriam's blood boiled as she witnessed this.

When they parted she could make out that Olli's new 'playmate' was taller than him which confirmed it wasn't Rob.

At least that was a slight relief.

The driver cleared his throat and whispered, "I think your ...I think he's... gay."

"I knew that," Miriam snapped.

"You knew your boyfriend was gay so you just wanted to confirm it. Clever..."

"So should I take you back home now," the man gently enquired wondering if she was going to burst into tears.

"No, thank you very much. But I'll get down once they go in." she said sadly

_*Olli how could you be so cold?*_ Miriam wondered.

She opened her purse and was looking down into it to fish out money to pay the driver when she was startled by a brisk rap on the taxi window.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 32 - Punked**

When they parted after the kiss Olli whispered into Christian's ear, "I think we've been caught."

"What? Who knows?"

"Miriam,"

"How?"

"She followed me."

"A regular little detective I see." Christian said and smirked.

"She is really nosey isn't she," Olli groused

"Wanna scare the shit outta her," Christian said and waggled his eyebrows

"I'm game." Olli confirmed and they softly giggled like little boys as they planned their prank.

000000000

Miriam opened her purse and was looking down into it to fish out money to pay the driver when she was startled by a brisk rap on the taxi window.

She looked up and found herself staring into two angrily blazing green infernos, and a hissed voice snidely greeted her, "Hallo Miriam! Fancy meeting you here of all places."

"Come on out and quench your curiosity." Olli commanded spurring Miriam into action.

She shoved some money into the driver's hand and mumbled "keep the change" as she jumped out of the taxi.

"Ma'am should I wait?" the taxi driver asked looking at the pair standing there facing each other.

"No, you can go I'll take 'Ma'am' home after our visit together." Olli replied for her.

The driver hesitated a moment; but before he could make a decision two overdressed girls came tottering across the street on their high heels and commanded him, "The Cactus Lounge" and climbed into the back of the taxi.

Olli and Miriam watched the taxi drive off then resumed staring at each other,

"Miriam If you wanted to meet my new boyfriend all you had to do was ask and I'd have brought you here on my own." Olli said breaking the silence and completely startling her.

"So you really have found someone new," she choked out.

"Oh! I found him ages ago I was just waiting for Christian to kick the bucket after naming me the sole owner of No Limits."

"You did this to get No Limits."

"Of course! Why else do you think I would have tolerated that uber macho country bumpkin?"

Miriam heard a soft snicker from somewhere in the vicinity.

Her face flushed red in anger and she launched herself at her boss. Grabbing him by the throat she toppled him over and sat down on his chest .

"You Dirty sick Bastard! You murderer." she clasped her supple hands around his neck and started to strangle him,

"Olli! Oh My God!" a man cried and bodily picked up Miriam off him with one strong arm.

Miriam freed herself from her captor and turned on him her hands fisted ready to attack. But her whole body froze when she saw the scowling face of the man who had freed Olli from her clutches.

Olli stood up and was dusting himself off when Miriam again launched herself at him this time clinging to him as she shrieked in mortal fear, "GHOST"

"O...Ol...Olli... Christian knows...his ghost is here to take revenge on you."

Olli gave a soft laugh as he slowly peeled Miriam off of him.

"Miriam meet my new boyfriend Christian 2.0"

Miriam stared at the blonde man and shrieked, "Christian you're really alive,"

"Afraid so,"

She now flung herself at Christian eliciting a loud pained yelp.

"Miriam my Arm," he growled.

Miriam instantly jumped back.

"What happened to it?" she asked eyeing it guiltily.

"I injured it while taking the dive into the river," Christian said and hissed as the throbbing caused by the sudden impact slowly subsided.

Olli quickly placed his hand over her mouth and said, "Before you ask No he didn't jump he was pushed in. And we'll fill you in once we get to the apartment."

"Olli you'll love the Ehrlichs they are wonderful." Christian said with a wide smile as they headed into the building

"They have to be. They saved your life."

"The Ehrlichs?" Miriam interrupted.

"The couple who rescued me from dying of hypothermia and they allowed me to stay over while my memories unfroze." Christian explained.

"While your memories unfroze?" Miriam parroted in bafflement.

"How about we go in and discuss everything over mugs of Myrna's famous Hot Chocolate with marshmallows." Christian said halting Miriam's enquiries.

"Okay!"


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 33 - Life - Senseless**

"How do I look?" Olli asked as they climbed the stairs to the Ehrlich's flat

"Just fine." Christian replied with a smile.

"I hope I make a good impression on them."

"Yes, you will." Christian reassured him.

"They drink champagne don't they?" Olli asked.

"This is the third time you've asked me that and the answer is still the same. Yes, they do." Christian said in exasperation.

As they reached the landing of the second floor the mahogany door opened and out walked Myrna.

"You're here!" Myrna exclaimed with a bright smile Christian, Olli and Miriam smiled at the lady. As they neared the door she quickly came and enveloped Olli in a tight embrace. Leaning back from the hug she looked up at Olli, "You're a handsome devil. No one could resist that face." she said and tapped his nose.

Turning to Christian she chided, "Your description did him no justice Christian, he's ten fold more handsome than anything you described."

"Thank You," Olli mumbled in embarrassment.

"Oh Honey! You don't have to thank me. I'm just stating the obvious." She said and kissed Olli's cheek.

"And who do we have here," Myrna asked as she smiled at Miriam, "No, don't tell me let me guess...Umm Miriam right."

Miriam gaped at the lady, "How did you know?"

"The last two days since he came back to stay with us Christian has done nothing but talk about everyone of his friends and family. And guessing who you were was easy. Tiny blonde who can take down some one twice her size, I was looking out the window waiting for Olli's arrival I saw you down him in strike. So it was easy to guess who this little tigress was."

Miriam gave an embarrassed smile, "I thought he was cheating on Christian," she mumbled the explanation.

"Come on lets go in before Sascha burns the roast. He was very enthusiastic to make a good impression on your hot shot restaurant owner boyfriend here." She informed Christian. Making the blond man beam and the brunette blush

000000

Olli was overwhelmed by the open hearted welcome that he received from the couple.

He also realized why Christian had healed so quickly in their care.

This couple were the epitome of love and acceptance.

They had a warm heart that reached out to everyone and claimed them as their own without any selfish or hidden motives.

During dinner Christian informed Miriam of his adventures.

Over after dinner hot chocolate he elaborated his plan of unmasking his murderer to the couple and the waitress with Olli filling in the wherever necessary.

"You must and you will come to the funeral." Christian declared.

"Christian the whole idea is ridiculous and extremely creepy." Myrtle softly said hoping to dissuade Christian.

"Hey living funerals are all the rage now." He answered flippantly, but realizing that she wasn't biting he took a deep breath and contin "In all honesty I wanna see and hear who among all my so called 'well wishers' genuinely cared about me." Christian confessed.

"Well when you put it that way. I guess we are in." Sascha spoke for both himself and his wife.

0000

"I don't wanna leave," Olli whispered as Christian buttoned up the older man's jacket.

"I would like nothing better than to spend the night with you, but you know this is necessary we can't be caught by anyone else the way we were caught by Miriam tonight, so till the funeral no more physical contact. We just can't risk it." Olli nodded in agreement tucking his hands in his gloves.

"I miss you already." Olli choked as they hugged before he turned around, stoically walked out the door and flew down the stairs.

"I'm sorry for assaulting you," Miriam said breaking the silence in the cab as they headed back to the No Limits building.

Olli gently grasped her hand and squeezed it giving her a watery smile.

"You're a good friend Miriam." the bar owner said in way of gratitude.

"Diabolical!" Miriam whispered to herself as she climbed into her bed later that night.

She couldn't believe all that she had heard that night. Christian's attacker had to be psychotic. There was no other explanation for trying to murder someone like Christian who was a straight arrow and gay (no pun intended). But then for someone who lusted blood a kill was a kill whether male or female; whether straight or gay.

But till her eyes drooped and she was swept away to dreamland her brain kept trying to make sense of the senseless attack on Christian.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 34 - Preparations **

"Who can we approach? Who'll believe us anyway? Remember what happened the last time?" Christian said cynically.

"That was a completely different situation altogether."

"No it's not. when Axel beat you up there were no witnesses. Neither are there any witnesses to my accident either!." Christian said sharply, "it's the same whole song and dance once again."

"but a confession straight from the horse's mouth is better than witnesses isn't it?" Andi interjected calmly.

"But we still need a cop who'll believe us. Who'll agree to go along with this sting." Olli said but only drew a blank.

"Oh Oh Oh!" Miriam's face lit up, "I know someone who might help us."

"You know a cop?" all three pairs of eyes stared at her.

"Well... I know a few people ...here and there." Miriam answered demurely.

"I actually haven't spoken to her in sometime. But she will help if can."

"So? What did she say?" the three men pounced on Miriam as soon as she entered the flat late afternoon the next day.

"She will do a bit of investigation and then get back to me."

"Well I guess that's that." Christian spat out pessimistically.

"No, it's not." Miriam slung back. "I know she'll call back."

And as if on cue her cell phone rang.

"Hello,...Yah... Oh is that so? ... that's enough?" the conversation progressed a smile flowered on Miriam's face which gave the three men hope.

"... Really! ... I'll tell the guys right now!"

"Christian it seems that there is a witness to your 'suicide'. Is there really no end to the incompetency and the sheer laziness of public servants' method of working?" Miriam growled

"You lost us!" Olli said confused by Miriam's ranting.

"You guys aren't going to believe this." Miriam started speaking then and the men couldn't help but feel ecstatic by the new information that had been unearthed.

"Decorations?"

"Check"

"Catering?"

"Check. The menu approved by my Darling." Olli teased.

"Invites?"

"Check."

"So everything is set." Christian concluded in a whisper almost hyper ventilating

"Yup..." Olli replied trying to remain upbeat and not give in to his boyfriend's nervousness

"Do you think we'll be able to succeed?" Christian asked next

"I think so." Olli replied keeping his tone as neutral as he could he didn't want to raise Christian's hopes.

"That isn't very reassuring Olli"

"You're telling **me**?"

"What **did** she say before she pushed you off?" Olli asked again.

"That she didn't want me getting my claws into what was truly hers only."

"She accepted the invite so now we only have to wait and watch as to how everything turns out."

He noticed Miriam's frantic signal and quickly proceeded to end the conversation.

"Gotta go now Gregor and Luise just arrived. Just one more night then this farce can end."

"I can't wait for it to be tomorrow."

"Me neither."

"Don't come out of that room until I signal you." Olli instructed.

"I know sweetie. Love you." Christian replied longingly

"Love you too. See you on the other side."

"Olli." Gregor couldn't say anything more and tightly hugged the man.

"I had your flat cleaned and kept ready." Olli informed him after the man released him.

"Thanks."

As Gregor saw to the baggage and instructed the security team Luise took Olli aside, "How are you doing?"

"Some days are better than others." Olli whispered as tears came to his eyes.

"Oh Honey!" Luise instantly enveloped him in her arms trying to sooth him.

Olli sniffled hugging her back.

Alone in his room Christian giggled as he watched Olli's charade on the Close Circuit screen.

"Olli my man! You deserve an Oscar for that performance." Christian chuckled addressing the screen

But then his mind flew back to the night he had returned home and witnessed the true devastation Olli had been through. So the uncomfortable thought that Olli was basing his current behavior on the 7 days he had been sure that Christian had truly died made the hilarity he felt at Olli's behavior evaporate.

Unable to control himself once he saw that Olli was alone again he called him.

"I told you not to call. You know we could get caught" Olli scolded him in a hushed whisper.

"You were crying." Christian stated softly.  
"I'm grieving for my dead boyfriend remember."

"Yah, but..."

"you don't like to see me cry." Olli completed and smiled straight into the camera.

"Uh ...Huh. Yah." Christian.

"Just one more night Schatz. Keep it together for just another 18 hours."

"I'll try but I can't make any promises if you cry again. Love you"

"Love you too." Olli looked around to check if he was alone and seeing only Miriam discreetly blew a kiss towards the camera as he ended the call.

**Chapter End Notes:**

_so_

_Who do __**you**__think it is?_

_Who would __**you**__like it to be? _

_See you soon! _

_Kuss_

_**RG**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 35 - You're REALLY a Devil in Disguise**

Olli deposited another spoonful of cornflakes in his mouth and chewed on it thoughtfully.

A doubt about the flowers suddenly struck him and he turned to Andi.

"Are you sure...," he started to ask but then he realized that Andi was only physically present beside him. His flat mate was blankly staring into space, spoon dangling from his fingers, his breakfast lying completely forgotten.

"Are you alright?" Olli quietly asked the construction worker, gently patting him on the shoulder.

Andi started then answered.

"Yah! Am fine."

But his bravado slipped and he confessed, "Actually I'm damn nervous. Aren't you?"

"Scared shitless" Olli replied with a guilty smile which was mirrored by Andi.

"But I wasn't just talking about the plan," Olli put his arm around his friend's shoulder then continued, "If this wake is a success it will affect you the most."

Andi shrugged, "Fairytale castles have to collapse sometime, don't they?" he started to get up but Olli pulled him into a hug.

After a few seconds of holding each other Andi suddenly exclaimed, "Oh My God! Christian! It's not what it looks like!" Olli spun around on his chair to turn towards the door and Andi burst out laughing.

The door was still shut.

"Ass hole!" Olli said as he got up and whacked the blond upside the head before heading towards the kitchen.

"You're so gullible." Andi snickered.

Dressed in all black Olli slowly descended the stairs into No Limits. All the tables had been moved away and chairs had been placed in neat rows facing the wall where an ornately framed enlarged picture of Christian had been hung up. Under it sat a table with candles and leaning against the wall just under the picture stood a large funeral wreath delivered a half hour earlier, specially flown in from Waldenstyk.

Behind the bar counter in the other half of the restaurant tables had been placed and the caterers were setting up.

Olli checked outside the door to make sure that the notice informing patron that No Limits was closed for the day had been hung up.

AS he started to shut the door Miriam hurriedly came in, an extremely annoyed expression on her face, followed by a tearful Rebecca who started howling as soon as she saw Olli.

"I can't wait for the wake to end," Miriam said peevishly, "I can't take her crying anymore."

Miriam headed to the back to talk to the caterers and Olli was heading towards the stairs to talk to Gregor when his cell phone beeped,

**_*U luk _****_HOT_****!***

Olli read it and wondered if Christian really understood the gravity of the situation. Turning back around he approached the makeshift altar and as he pretended to dust off an invisible speck off Christian's picture he stuck out his tongue into the camera hidden in the left crevice of the frame moulding.

"Are we going to see a video here?" Gregor asked when he saw Andi placing a projector screen on a stand.

"A small slideshow and video of Christian that I made." Olli replied but was unable to hold gregor's gaze as his reply was a half truth.

"Oh...Ok." Gregor nodded and walked away feeling awkward for asking an obvious question.

Olli let out a calming breath hoping that Gregor hadn't caught onto his blatant lie.

As the clock struck 10 AM the invitees to the wake trickled in.

It was a very diverse collection of people.

Mostly it were people had been close to or had known Christian. But there was a fraction who had come only to ogle at and rub shoulders with the affluent Royal mourners present that morning.

Watching Jessica, who was wearing what looked like a sequined black handkerchief, plastered all over Tristan like a rash made Olli want to puke. He saw that the girl was having the same effect on Gregor as well but the man was controlling himself. Taking cue from Gregor and for Luise's sake alone he didn't act, after all Tristan was Luise's cousin. He didn't want a ruckus.

**_*I thought dis was my funeral not a frat party*_**

**_*?* _**Olli messaged back

**_*Tristan brought his blow up doll*_**

Olli snorted reading Christian's answer.

She patted her short midnight black thick hair one last time before entering No Limits.

She would have rather popped a bottle of champagne and done a victory dance instead she had to partake in this stupid function.

She smiled to herself as she had the satisfaction to know that her love was safe from being snatched away.

Why did these stupid people think that they could so easily come between them? Well this fool too had ended up at the bottom of a river not unlike the three previous ones.

She gagged again when she realized that she would have to sit beside that smelly Neanderthal and act supportive giving him a shoulder to cry on. _*Lord!Would this torture ever end?*_

She steeled herself, plastered on her most morose expression, opened the door and plunged into the ritual of mourning that she had to perforce participate in.

Reverend Viktring began the service by singing "Abide With Me"

He then invited Olli to give the eulogy.

"I am not a religious man. I have not been for a long time. But Christian believes...believed that the Lord exists and will always look over him. He's been dragging me to church for the past 2 years and till he went away I never acknowledged the fact that God truly existed. Because only God can perform miracles and I am a believer again. Because the brought to me the miracle called Christian." He turned to around to face Christian's picture

On cue Miriam turned out the lights as Andi pulled down the projector screen and turned on the projector.

A slideshow of Christian's pictures began. But the song playing in the background though was completely inappropriate. watch?v=AqgJY4WDC1U

Gregor glared at the back of Olli's head as the man too watched the slideshow.

As the string of pictures ended the screen went dark, "Can we have the lights back on now," a irritated female voice said.

"No, yet!" came Olli's curt reply as the screen brightened again and this time a mute video started to play.

It was a black and white capture of the bridge off which Christian had jumped.

There were a series of gasps when the audience saw Christian walk into the camera's view. Christian was leaning on the fencing on the side of the bridge looking intently into the water.

"Olli what nonsense is this?" Gregor roared.

"Gregor shut up and watch," Olli commanded coldly.

As all watched an individual approached the thoughtful man on screen. As they talked the video zoomed slightly into them. This helped all present to see that the new comer was fiddling with a bolt which attached the horizontal steel bar to the bridge fence poles. The bar dropped on one side. Then a well placed, ingenuisly timed push on the back sent Christian flying off the bridge. The culprit turned patted her short midnight black thick hair, held her head high and sauntered off the scene as a crowd gathered, unaware that her face had been captured by the cctv camera placed on the bridge to identify and catch jumpers before they completed their intent.

There was quick click clack of heels followed by a thump and a feminine shriek.

The lights came on and everyone turned towards the origin of the shriek to see that Helena was being pulled up back onto her feet her hands cuffed behind her back.

An ugly snarl twisting her angelic face as she spat at the shocked crowd, **"He deserved what he got." **


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 36 - Crazy Big Love**

"Helena!" Luise gasped. The monarch frowned in puzzlement.

"Why?" was all she asked.

"I don't like people touching my things." Helena answered coolly.

After her initial outburst, In the seconds that had ticked between her foiled attempt at fleeing and Luise's inquiry, the young Countess had regained her poise and posture that was indicative of her noble breeding.

"Your things?" Gregor growled taking a step towards her but Luise's hand on his chest halted his progress.

"What could you have that MY brother could or would ever want?" he flung at her.

"He tried to come between me and the person I love." She explained evenly.

"Oh so you really are a lesbian." Olli said conclusively.

"Shut up! You fairy!" Helena spat at Olli, glaring daggers at him.

"I would never soil the Lahnstein name like that... that Carla." Helena declared loftily.

Finally, finding his voice Ludwig stoicly spoke, "Helena just tell us why you killed him"

"He went after Tristan, so he had to be dealt with." Helena finally clarified.

A chorus of "Whats" rang out

"Helena what gave you that idea?" Andi took over the questioning.

"I heard Frau Lentil and Justus talking, Frau Lentil said I quote 'Christian has a perfect husband material in the sweet Sabel boy I wonder what on earth possessed him to kiss Graf Ludwig's crazy kid' Now we all know who the crazy one is, now don't we?" Helena finished with a flourish and a wide grin, her eyes pinned on Tristan.

The Count uncomfortably shifted in his chair while Jessica sidled away from him.

"It was me," Rebecca howled, "Christian kissed me," she moaned and noisily blew her nose into the thick wad of tissues she stood clutching, then went back to pathetically sobbing.

"OooooooKAY! Uuuups..."Helena exclaimed and dissolved into uproarious giggles.

"Yah! Uuups is right." Andi thundered.

"You're worse than your brother."

"We're twins and soulmates after all." Helena replied gazing lovingly at her twin.

"Helena, please!" the Count begged, "That's disgusting." Tristan squeaked out.

"Tristan we don't have to play this charade any longer. I know you love me too. I know what lengths and efforts you always put in to chase away men I showed the slightest bit of interest in. And I was over the moon when you hired Jessica to get Andi arrested for the rape charge. Tristan we are truly made for each other and I am so happy you are over all that 'I'm gay' nonsense" a happy angelic smile brightened her sweet face.

"Helena, my sweet sister I love you as a brother should love a sister and being twins ours likings are the same. The reason I chased away the men you dated was because like you I too feel in love with them."

Tristan then addressed Andi, "Andi I am so sorry for all the trouble I caused you. The humiliation I put you through I can never undo that. I should have come clean right from the beginning. Everybody I AM GAY. Andi I fell in love with you but I didn't have the guts to be honest with myself and my family. Now I see that it has led to a disaster. If I had been honest then this terrible tragedy could have been averted. It's all my fault."

"No, wonder you couldn't get it up. What a waste of time!" Jessica hissed before sauntering out of No Limits.

While everybody stood thunderstruck at the scene playing out in front of them Christian quietly came and stood beside Olli. Wrapping an arm around Olli's waist he whispered in his boyfriend's ear "It didn't go quite as we had planned."

"You Lahnsteins get weirder with every new one that lands up in Dusseldorf," Christian declared loudly.

Everyone turned in unison to the source of the voice.

Helena shrieked in terror.

Gregor rubbed his eyes and blinked rapidly to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

And to Miriam's relief with Christian's appearance Rebecca's constant wailing came to an abrupt end.

"I knew it!" Luise exclaimed in joy and jogged over to tightly hug her brother in law then planted a smacking kiss on his forehead leaving a bright pink lipstick mark making Olli giggle.

Now Christian took center stage. "As you all can see I am not dead."

"Tristan you're gay. Kudos to you for accepting it, finally. No one blames you for hesitating. We aren't really accepted open armed by everyone. Believe me I know. But it isn't your fault that your sister is nuts. I thought she was in love with Jessica. Actually Andi, Olli and I all three expected her to declare that she was a lesbian and the reason she went after me was because I flirted with that blonde dimbo, ... which was only because I wanted extra helpings at lunch" the last part he said addressing Olli to make sure his boyfriend didn't get any ideas.

"Miriam what is going on?" the officer stiffly questioned the waitress, "what am I supposed to charge this woman with?"

"Murder Officer," Ludwig spoke up, "charge my daughter with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. I'll provide the necessary evidence and the relevant information" the father informed the police tiredly.

"Papa, you can't do this to me." Helena whined.

The Count approached his daughter and hugged her. "Helena I knew you had a homicidal streak in you. But the previous three weren't missed by anyone so I let sleeping dogs lie I thought it was a phase that you would get over just like I thought Tristan's homosexual feelings were a phase that he would get over but now I can make out I have caused harm to both of you. Tristan I should have accepted your homosexuality when I caught you kissing Nicolas. I'm so sorry." Then he turned to his other two children and sadly asked "Rebecca... Sebastian is there something I should know," "

Rebecca vigorously shook her head indicating the negative. Sebastian thought for a second then answered, "A few business issues are there but we can discuss that later and Hagen called."

The officer read Helena her rights and dragged her away amidst violent kicking, screaming and threats from the psychotic countess.

**Chapter End Notes:**

_I don't know wat just happened._

_I am sunk and drunk as a skunk._

_Review bitte..._


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